#a part of him knew maybe he'd have to be a bit forceful with somebody as polite as Izuku

[akutasoda]

Hi! For the 1k event could I request hcs of Wanderer or Alhaitham (either works!) with a shy but extroverted s/o? Like they love talking and socializing, but their shyness prevents them from doing so. Hurt/comfort, fluff, or angst would be fine :>

Love your writing btw!!

extroverted introverts

synopsis - when their s/o who loves socialising has a shyer personality

includes - alhaitham, wanderer

warnings - gn!reader, reader is shy but loves talking, fluff, slight angst, wc - 713

a/n: <3 thank you! why not both?

alhaitham ★↷

↪alhaitham isn't exactly a people person, he has those headphones on him for a reason now. he can happily go about his day not socialising with anyone outsiders of who he needs to speak to and even then he likes to keep it brief and gotten over with.

↪so when he first saw how shy you could be he kind of just assumed you weren't that fond of talking to people and that was all. it wouldn't take him long until he could see how you always looked like you had something to say when you were with people but never did.

↪he wanted to chalk it up to your shyness but when he saw you with familiar faces, himself included, you seemed to talk forever and it was like you would never be shy. it took him a short while to figure out you did like talking to people but you had a shyer side which made it very difficult for you.

↪now, if you were anyone else he'd see it as a tough luck situation but fortunately he cared for you. he wouldn't really waste any time in asking you about it and would quickly add that he'd be willing to try and help you. a small part of you wanted to tease him for becoming so willing to talk to people for your sake.

↪whenever you'd accompany alhaitham anywhere and he happened to be ambushed by someone he'd starrt helping you get incorporated into the conversation by always prompting you subtly - he actually liked doing this because he didn't have to talk to the other person but at the same time you could happily talk to them.

↪he would never pry into why you would become so shy sometimes as he knew it wasn't really his business but he'd still help you. sometimes he'd catch you becoming a bit more extroverted and see you talking to new people and a part of him would feel happy for you.

↪he did actively enjoy bringing you into conversations subtly as you always enjoyed talking with others and he didn't, so it'd normally take the attention off of him which meant he didn't have to talk to anyone unnecessarily.

wanderer ★↷

↪wanderer is quite a mixed bag when it comes to socialising with others. a part of him can be very outgoing and he likes to talk without a filter, uncaring to those around him especially when he's annoyed - much to nahida's dismay. another part of him can be quite quiet when it comes to socialising, preferring to silently judge while others talked.

↪didn't mind that you seemed to be shy and rather hesitant about talking with others. you'd probably have to tell him directly about how you loved to talk with others but you simply couldn't get over your shyness because he wouldn't really pick up on it precisely.

↪like maybe he'd notice how you always looked like you wanted to say something but didn't but he wouldn't really put two and two together. he'd also be slightly unsure of how to help because it's not like you can force somebody to just get better at talking to people.

↪he'd probably start noticing how much you actually did like socialising when he saw how quickly you could change from being shy to outgoing - specifically when talking to people you're quite familiar with. then he'd start noticing how much more outgoing and sociable you are, even with him.

↪he might be a little useless to begin with but maybe he'd start developing a more subtle approach where when he's talking to somebody he'd ask for your input and ease you into the conversation - it makes him very proud when he sees how comfortable you get when you get used to talking to someone and start enjoying the conversation.

↪or maybe if you didn't mind he'd start pushing you into taking the lead when you're both out and about. small things that would help you overcome your shyness and be able to have that confidence to be able to happily talk to anyone.

↪maybe he'd even let you talk his ear off late at night because he enjoys listening to how passionate you can be when talking-

akutasoda's 1k event

[eroslove88]

I just want to make you feel good

GIF MIGHT NOT WORK. :( SORRY!!!

Warnings: Death of reader's fiance, DICTATOR ALBEDO, mention of war, overstimulation, light bondage, femdom with fiance a bit, starvation, kidnapping, sex with fiance, and NONCON with Albedo

Pairing: Yan! Albedo x Reader

Note: I'm pretty proud of this one. Not proof read, please share! 🫶 It would mean a lot!

Many years ago you poured your heart out in form of love letters to him, and although they were anonymous, at first, they soon would turn to flirty messages. He'd give you gifts and while you thought he liked you, deep deep down you knew he didn't. Especially when his attention started to slip, his messages stopped, and the ignoring started. A part of you wanted to ask him, what did I do wrong? It's not like he knew about all the smutty things you'd say when he posted a photo to your friends, 'I need him so baddd' or the 'Oh he can get it ;)' , yet maybe he did. Maybe somebody told him about how you were nervous because his parents didn't approve of dating outside the culture. You can't help but feel this take a toll of your pride- and dignity- your mind recalls the things he'd say about you, "She's so cute"- hell if you really were then he would have put the same amount of effort in. Not that it mattered anymore.

With what courage you could muster up you decided to message him how you felt about his recent absence, 'Hey! So I know we haven't talked in a while, but I wanted you to know that I feel pretty strongly about you, and I know you probably don't. But I would prefer you just tell me if you weren't.' However, due to the time difference (4am for you and unfortunately, 1pm for him) to your horror he reads it right away. You decide to just go to sleep, you already know the answer, and besides it honestly didn't even hurt when you woke to the message blabbing about not feeling the same way. About a week later an old friend reaches out to you about missing you, and so you get closer with them.

Like a flash 3 months go by and he's your boyfriend; he's sweet, patient, sensitive, non egotistical, and beautiful. He's open with you about how he feels and he communicates well him you about how he feels and what he wants, arguments are easy to get through.

After high school you found yourself engaged quite young, younger than you thought- 23- while attending med school across the country. Your fiance would occasionally visit you and you two would have fun.

"Mmm~ slow down" he'd groan, head tossed back as the flesh light in your hand moves up and down along his cock. He was so beautiful tied up and completely at your mercy, "Ah~" he whispers, "Th-The visit is su-supposed to" you shush him. "I know, but I enjoy this more" you lean in and start nibbling across his clavicle while you forced his already sore cock to pump the cum filled flesh light. "I just want to make you feel good" you whisper in front of his lips before kissing his beautiful lips, pushing him against the head board of your twin bed. Your other hand come up and lightly wraps itself around his neck, and you can tell he's almost done. His tongue jolts and you feel his body begin to shiver slightly. It's his 3rd time cumming tonight, but you've been so stressed with finals coming up that you don't plan for this to be his last one, "Gorgeous, as always" you mumble kissing his forehead before kissing his collar bones and working your way down; from his chest, to his pelvis, to his cock. It's so sensitive it twitches when you kiss the head and although you can't help but chuckle you decide to look up at his face. He was panting, his eyes watered, and his lips were slightly parted. You wanted to give him the world, but right now the most you could give him was pleasure so you grab his hips and start to slowly make your way down his cock. After his 2th time cumming down your throat he begins to whine and cry, "N-no no more, hun" you sigh and begin to untie him. "You did better this time" you whisper before cleaning up the messy bed. When you crawl in next to him he holds you, tight, very tight. You giggle as he flips you into your back and pins you down, "I thought you were tired" you snort out. He rolls his eyes, "I'm just returning the favor" Before you know if he's picked you up by the thighs and has you slammed against the mattress, that's new. He's quite strong and he begins to absolutely dominate your mouth making you pant into the kiss. He moves down your torso; from collar bones, to chest (he nips at your pretty nipples too!), and down your pussy. He practically rips your legs apart and starts to ravage you. Your hands reach out to pull his messy hair as your pelvis lifts up to grind against his nose. He's always been good with his tongue, and he knew that. "Ah- more, please!" you cry out as your thighs close around his and your back arches, trying to chase your high. You don't remember the boring things after that; how many times you came on his tongue, and cleaning up. You do remember the question your fiance asked you though, "So, are... are we still virgins if we haven't done penetrational sex?" you look at him, "Oral is a kind of sex, but we'll do vaginal after the wedding" you respond before scooching closer to him and clinging onto his torso.

Unfortunately, this wouldn't last. Not when this was your last intimate night together. That morning you remember it so clearly. The news had been reporting on absolutely crazy protests against the government recently, but you couldn't have ever imagined that the president and his family would flee the country. Airlines were ordered to stop sending out flights, and the new leader, who had been planning this, ordered for the country to immediately be on lockdown. Boarders were closed, trading stopped, classes were cancelled, and the internet stopped working. All that happened in the span of 6 months, you never married your fiance, and because of neighboring countries attempting to come to the citizens' aids- despite out leader not allowing it- it lead to war. War leads to drafts, and with that your fiance was sent away.

You had no idea how he was doing, and to call yourself down you would usually dive into your studies- which were cancelled- or you'd call you fiance- which was not an option. Back in your home town, much time everywhere else, the streets were full of tanks and soldiers. You felt safe in your childhood home, and you decided that mayb being with family would help. Wrong, they actually made you more anxious about your betrothed, and with that you decided to try visiting your friends. All were frantic as well, but what surprised you the most was the question, "You're here?" you tilted your head, "Is this not a great time?" she pulls you in with your other friends already inside, "You're safe?" you nod before the other girls come in to hug you. "I thought he had found you!" blonde exclaims. You pull away from the hug, "Who?" you ask dropping your bag. That's when they started telling you the whole story.

You see, Albedo was always awkward, and you kind of figured that maybe that was the reason why he didn't tell you right away about not liking you. He was a year older and you decided to take the same science class as him, not because of him, but because it actually interested both of you. He was your lab partner and he mentioned the events of the previous year and out of anger you may be have blurted out, "Yeah, and I bet you didn't tell me right away because you're so insecure that you probably didn't think you'd get that kind of attention from a girl again, so you lead me on to boost your ego" and genuinely for the first time, he looked hurt. You apologize and because your teacher heard, she allowed you to change partners. 3 months ago an order was sent out for your capture by the leader, Albedo. Why, you had no clue.

"Maybe he wants revenge..." you mumble petting the fat tabby cat she owned. She shakes her head, "No, you were just being honest and it was mostly true" your other friend butts in, "You just need to lay low" you nod and put the cat down. "I should head home to say goodbye to my parents" you grab your bag and hug your friends goodbye before walking out of the apartment, and suddenly you felt the immense pressure of eyes on you.

When you got home you almost felt like vomiting, your parents were sitting at the dining room table. "We sent for them about a week ago" your father starts. You step bsc, but a soldier's hand from behind stops you. They can't even look at you and your eyes begin to water, "We needed to ensure the safety of your sister and... us..." your mother adds. You shake your head, "What about mine?" you ask in between sobs before one of the waves the other 3 soldiers away making them grab you and begin to drag you out. You wanted to scream, but all you could do was cry.

You were thrown into a cellar, you didn't get up to scream you just silently laid on the cold floor and sobbed, loudly. All this adrenaline made your head hurt and before you knew it you knocked out, and when you woke up there was a bucket, and a gallon on water. "V-very funny asshole" you tell out hoping you maybe spot a camera in there, "Are you trying to humiliate me?" you ask kicking the bucket. Hours passed by and... nothing. You decide to drink the water, your stomach growled as your sat patiently talking to yourself about some stupid medical notes you remembered. When you woke up the light was still on, no food, only the gallon that was now full- despite you only drinking a bit- and the bucket. You had to pee, but maybe you could wait. After what felt like an eternity you realized you couldn't. Maybe days went by, you felt your hips and felt your hip bone protrude from your skin, and you couldn't get up anymore. You were so hungry, "Al..." you whisper. Nothing. You cleared your throat, "Albe..." you couldn't finish before you started sobbing. The door opened. You couldn't even look up you just kept your head down before your were slung over someone's shoulder, you wanted an end to this misery, but the sight of platinum blond hair had you thinking it wasn't just over yet before you passed out.

You woke up to blackness, a blind fold, you opened your mouth to begin the sobbing before a finger pressed against your lips, "I don't like it when you cry, hun" you felt soft lips kiss your cuffed hand, "The examination processes will be over soon, and then we'll get you some actually food" his voice was calm, almost as if you weren't just starved for who knew how long. Closing your mouth to tried to suppress your little cries and small jolts of your body. After what felt like decades the bed shifts so that you're sitting up, the blindfold is taken off and you're faced with that pretty man you envied, yet admirers much. In a table next to him he has a bowl full of broccoli cheddar soup, the steam is still coming off it. He blows on the spoons before using his other hand to pull your jaw down, "Remember, it's hot" he warns before feeding it to you. He doesn't say anything else after that, and when the soup is done a soldier comes down to grab the bowl and takes it away from the room. It's quiet, and while you can't look at him, he doesn't ever take his eyes off you. "How was med school?" he asks hoping you'll turn to face him. You open your mouth, but nothing comes out, only shaking breaths. "I remember it being your dream and all..." he trails off. It was silent again. He clears his throat, "You know, you've always been bad at keeping the conversation going..." silent tears fall down your face. Albedo sighs before uncuffing your limbs, and you don't know what possessed you, but you reach out and he stops you with ease, "The point of the starvation was you weaken you" you look like a scared bunny, your nose flaring slightly and eyes squinting a bit staring at his perfect face. "Stand." he demands. You shake your head, "No?" he asks. "Because you can't?" he quirks a brow. You nod and he looks down at your slim legs, they were shaking. He bends down and picks you up bridal style, and you hide your face in the crook of his neck before your tossed onto a bed. It's beautiful; the room's color scheme was gold and brown, but there were some banners along the wall with red, and thick curtains covering the windows. You're assuming he caught your stare, "And bars" you look back at him confused, "Bars along the windows"- oh that's what he meant.

The room is kind of dark due to the lack of sun- hold up- you look up and he's looming over you. "Albedo..." you whisper pushing yourself further up the bed away from him, "Yes?" he asks maintaining the same position. "My..." you break eye contact, a bit embarrassed to ask actually, "My finance, was..." he tilts his head, "What?" you stop scooting up when you hit the soft pillows, "Dr-drafted." you finish. He sighs and shakes his head, "Yes, I'm aware." he straightens himself, "It's all for a good of the country" you open your mouth with your eyebrows furrowed, "Besides, why do you think you're here?" he asks. Now his beautiful, bright eyes are holding contact, you shiver a little not really sure what he means, "I realized that you were right, no other woman would like me the way you did," you open your mouth to correct him, that's not what you meant, but he interrupts you, "I've grown to realize that I actually did feel for you. In a much stronger way" he grabs your ankle and your weak fingers try to grab on the sheets beneath you, "I wanted to kill that man the second I found out you two were... exclusive?" he rolls his eyes. You're right under him, and his hand is wrapped tightly around your left ankle. He pushes your leg as far as he can back towards your head to test your flexibility, "When we're done here I'll take you down to see the remains of your 'fiancé'" a meek squeal leaves your mouth before he let's you go to undo his belt you kick his torso and begin to book it, but you don't make it far before he grabs you and you're slammed on the bed, harshly. You sit up and he immediately smacks you across the face; in a quick moment your vision goes black and you hear ringing in your ears. You begin to scream and sob as he flips you over knto your stomach.

"I'm sorry hun..." he mumbles, "You just make it so difficult." Begs leave your lips, "Pleasepleaseplease, no. Albedo. Albedo! Albedo!" he easily lifts up the skirt of the night gown he gave you and stops for a second to drop his pants. "I love you." he states to coldly as his hard cock is aligned with your cunt. You arch your back in pain as a loud shriek leaves your mouth, he almost wants to believe you weren't doing this with your boyfriend, until he sees the red blood trickling down, he doesn't comment on it, but you know he's happy or at least relieved. Once his cock is all the way in and only cocked sobbed leave your lips he leans forward and whispers in your ear, "I just want to make you feel good" he takes a shakey breath, the most human he's been, "I'll make sure the next time you to change yourself you only think about his good I made you feel" he pulls away and grabs your hips. You grown as he pulls out a but before sliding in with your slick. Swallowing the lump in your throat you bite your tongue to suppress the breathy moan you want to let out. You've always fantasized about having something inside you, but you didn't think it'd feel this good, or under these circumstances. You ass jiggles as he harshly makes contact with it and his pelvis. You use your elbows to prop you up so that he can hit a better angle, and he knows it. It stroke his ego how you act like you don't like it, but it's your hungry pussy that's dragging him in and slobbering all over his length. He hears your groans become louder and your cunt begins to twitch around him. "F-f-fuck" you sob out in a defeated tone. A hand comes down to play with your poor pearl, you squeal at the familiar sensation. "N-no!" you shout. "Yes." he responds nonchalantly. You limbs are ready to give out, as your on all fours panting like a dog on the bed. You shriek at and cum all over him, but he's not done yet. It's for you, so you're going to enjoy it as many times as he seems fit. "More." he says flips you over to stare at your blissful face. His hands pin yours down and he quickens the pace, a light outline of his cock visible in your stomach. You close your eyes to avoid his gaze, but he doesn't care, he just wants you to feel good.

[richeeduvie]

Debating on whether or not to write a full part two to When The World Falls Down, so I might as well just relay some of my fantasies concerning apocalypse!Princesa and Lalo.

You just know he is so fucking insane. I mean, he's Lalo. He's not particularly normal in terms of how he feels things or perceives violence, but he's been alone out in the woods for god knows how long. His mind has more than enough time to spiral and set fire to that emotional control he was known so well for.

When he sees Princesa alone for the first time in the woods...it isn't when she meets him.

He was out hunting one day, just talking and humming along to himself, thinking about the next time he was gonna wash his coat (and maybe also thinking about how he'd pretend whatever deer or rabbit he finds is the body of an old rival cartel member from long, long ago). He puts the aim of the rifle to his eyes, peeks to see if he can find away long and far away.

And there. Right there, in his target? A girl. The thing looks like she hasn't eaten in weeks, and it's obvious she's all by herself. it's too obvious that she can't take care of herself, playing with this little spear that she made for the fish she can't catch.

But what's really obvious to Lalo through the target of his gun...is just how pretty she is.

Hell, he doesn't remember the last time he's seen a woman, and he really don't know the last time he's seen one as pretty as the one he's watching.

What she's doing out here all by herself? Sure, it's a show for him. He can't stop watching. But does she know what's out there? Does he have to teach her? What if someone else found her like this?

This girl needs somebody. No, not just anybody. Him.

Lalo knew what he wanted if he was ever gonna find himself a woman before the world shot itself in the head and infested itself with mordido-mordidos. He couldn't handle independence then. Sure, a fight every now and then, but to have a pretty girl all dependent on him...well. Ay. That was a heaven he never found and never though he would have.

"What are you doing so lonely? With your little bear and rabbit...someone's gonna eat you alive if you don't find me, girl. Come on. Come this way."

But her she is. Princesa. He's gonna treat her like a princess, as long as she thanks him and realizes just what he would do for her already. She should be flattered.

The way he already plans on stuffing her isn't even what Lalo would think was her being thankful...that's just another way to take care of her.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.

Lalo definitely slams his fist on the table when Princesa doesn't listen to him when he tells her to slow down when eating the dinner he made for her. He only feels the slightest bit of guilt at her scared eyes getting all big on him. It's mostly his cock growing tense. He really, really likes her scared. She shouldn't be. Not of him, but it just makes him feel strong. She's got nowhere to go, and she's all his. And it's good that she's still scared at the end of the day, he'd have to question how much of a whore she might've been if she was so easy on him from the first night.

But she is kind of a whore with the way she moan on him. A stranger. But he's not a stranger. He's gonna be her everything. It's not just she's gonna need him. She already does. The rest of his life will be showing her that.

"Just...slow down, you. You gotta rest that belly of yours if you want to eat it all, and you’re gonna want to eat it all. You need some weight on you after your lonely time out in the woods.”

He puts her on his lap when she's not able to finish her food. He basically force feeds her.

"How else am I supposed to keep you fed when you're not eating the things I make for you?"

Princesa doesn't what to do when he starts rubbing her clit through her jeans as she sits on him. She doesn't know what she feels, but she certainly knows it's new and terrifying and good.

Lalo placed her stuffed bear and rabbit on their bed. How cute. What a sweet, funny, kind man he is.

"Is this where I'm sleeping?"

My bed is yours, sweet girl.

Yeah. Princesa doesn't have much of a say.

[tanjamikaelson]

BEST FRIEND'S BROTHER - CHAPTER 30

MASTERLIST

CHAPTER 30: | BONFIRE |

You pulled Sarah by the hand through the crowds of people at the bonfire party, your mind spinning with a jumble of thoughts you weren’t ready to unpack. Rafe’s visit the other night lingered in the back of your mind like a shadow, but you hadn't told Sarah. You weren't ready to talk about how he’d kissed you, how he'd sobbed into your shoulder, pleading for forgiveness. Tonight wasn’t about Rafe—it was about getting wasted and trying to forget. You needed that, and you were determined Sarah would join you.

“You and I need to get wasted,” you declared, your voice firm as if it were a mission. “Maybe smoke a couple of joints, you know, to get high and ease our minds.”

Sarah shot you a surprised look. “Since when do you smoke?”

You shrugged casually, trying to play it off as if it was nothing. “Uh, I tried it not so long ago…”

As you approached the keg, two guys were already there, filling their cups. They noticed you both, grinning with that familiar, irritating mischievousness.

“Can we get you ladies anything?” one of them offered, his grin widening as if he thought he was being smooth.

You rolled your eyes, your patience thin. “No,” you said dryly, not even looking at them.

The guys exchanged looks, muttering something about how you were a bitch before disappearing into the crowd. You didn’t care. Tonight was about escaping, not putting up with sleazy attempts at flirting.

You poured a cup for Sarah first, then filled one for yourself, already feeling the anticipation of the alcohol taking the edge off.

Sarah studied you for a moment, her expression more serious now. “You know, I think you might use a bit of flirting with somebody tonight.”

You scoffed, taking a large sip of your drink. “Yeah, no way. I have too much on my mind right now.”

“Like what?” she asked, tilting her head curiously as she sipped from her cup.

You hesitated for a moment, the words tumbling out before you could stop them. “Like how Rafe came to see me last night.”

Sarah nearly choked on her drink. “Wait, what?!”

You nodded, still holding the cup to your lips, avoiding her gaze.

“What did he want?” she asked, leaning in, her voice laced with concern.

“He said he needed me�� wanted my forgiveness,” you confessed, your voice quieter now, as if admitting it made it more real.

“Don’t tell me you forgave him,” Sarah said, disbelief and concern mixing in her voice.

“I didn’t,” you assured her, shaking your head. “I told him he needs to prove he’s changed before I even consider giving him another chance.”

Sarah’s expression hardened. “He will never change.”

Her words cut deep, striking at the part of you that still held onto hope. It hurt because a part of you feared she might be right.

Before the conversation could continue, Topper approached, holding three mai tais in his hands. He handed one to each of you, flashing a charming smile.

“Cheers,” you said, raising your drink with forced enthusiasm.

Sarah smiled faintly. “Cheers.”

Topper grinned. “Cheers to just a... just a normal, fun night.”

The three of you clinked your cups together, each taking a sip. You were already thinking about the joints you planned to smoke. “I’ll go find some joints, okay?” you said quickly, needing a moment away from the tension.

You found the girls who had given you a joint the last time and bought a few more, hoping it would help dull the swirling emotions. When you returned, you spotted Sarah and Topper dancing, their movements close, almost intimate. Just as Topper leaned in, you cleared your throat loudly, breaking the moment.

Topper pulled back immediately, offering a sheepish smile. “I'm sorry. I, uh… one too many mai tais, I guess.”

“Yeah...” you replied, unconvinced. You knew Topper wanted Sarah back, and this wasn’t just about being drunk.

Sarah gently touched Topper’s arm. “It’s just… a little too soon.”

Topper nodded. “It’s all good.” He excused himself when someone called him over, leaving you alone with Sarah once more.

You shot her a questioning look. “Do you still like Topper?”

Sarah sighed, her gaze distant. “I don’t know what I feel.”

Before you could say anything else, Sarah spotted John B dancing with another girl. Her whole demeanor changed in an instant. “Come with me,” she said, pulling you along with her.

The tension in the air was palpable as you followed Sarah, her hand gripping yours tightly as she dragged you toward John B. You could feel the storm brewing within her before she even spoke a word.

“Sancho. Hi! You gonna introduce me to your friend?” Sarah’s voice dripped with sarcasm, her eyes locked on John B but flickering briefly toward the girl next to him. You could tell she was holding back her anger, but the strain was evident.

John B seemed caught off guard. His eyes widened for a moment before narrowing in frustration. “What are you doing here?” His question was more of a challenge than a greeting.

“The same thing you're doing here, it looks like,” Sarah shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant but failing to hide the hurt creeping into her tone. She barely had time to finish her sentence before Topper returned, draping his arm casually over her shoulder as if trying to lay claim to her.

“Hey, Top!” Sarah greeted him, her voice faltering slightly.

“Hey, Sarah,” Topper replied smoothly, his eyes briefly flicking to John B. There was tension in the way he carried himself now, a silent challenge directed at John B. “Hey, I think we should go.”

“I don't know what you mean,” Sarah said defiantly, shrugging off Topper’s arm. “I think we're just getting started.”

A girl, the one John B had been dancing with, suddenly piped up. “Good idea. You should go, Sarah.” Her words were like a slap, smug and condescending.

Sarah’s eyes narrowed, her anger finally boiling over. “Did I ask you?” she shot back, bitterness lacing her words.

The girl wasn’t intimidated, her face twisting into a sneer. “You don't own everything, princess. You aren't even together.”

You couldn’t stand by and let her talk to Sarah that way. “Why are you still talking?” you snapped, stepping closer with a glare.

“Have a little respect! Her dad just died!” Topper’s voice rose in defense of Sarah, his frustration starting to show as the situation escalated.

“Shut up, Kooks! Back off!” the girl spat back, her voice growing louder as the crowd around you all started to tune into the brewing confrontation.

“What’s your problem?” you fired back, your voice shaking with rising anger. But before you could say anything more, you heard Sarah’s voice cracking with emotion as she addressed John B directly.

“Did… did I mean anything to you? Did you… did you tell her?” Her words trembled, and you could feel the vulnerability beneath her anger, the raw emotion of someone who had been deeply hurt.

“You wanna start shit right now?” Topper asked John B.

John B stepped forward, squaring off with Topper. “Do I wanna start some shit?” John B repeated mockingly, his eyes locked on Topper with a simmering rage.

“They all know what happened last time,” Topper stated, the reminder of their previous clash hanging in the air like a warning.

“Just get out! Just go!” Sarah’s voice broke through the tension, her desperation for him to leave evident.

“I'll beat your ass,” Topper threatened, stepping closer to John B, ready for a fight.

Just then, Kelce barged into the middle of it, his voice loud and taunting. “Hey, she don’t want you anymore, bro.” John B turned away, trying to walk away from the situation, but Kelce wasn’t done. “What you gonna do, John B, kill me like you killed Sheriff Peterkin?” His words were meant to provoke, and they did.

Before anyone could react, John B spun around and landed a hard punch to Kelce’s face. The impact made Kelce stumble backward, his expression twisted in pain and anger. The crowd gasped, the air charged with shock.

Topper immediately jumped in, pushing John B back, and in an instant, the entire scene dissolved into chaos. Every kook seemed to be fighting a pogue, bodies slamming into one another, fists flying.

In the middle of the chaos, you and Sarah were jostled by the crowd. People bumped into you, nearly knocking you off balance, but then you saw Sarah fall, shoved to the ground by the girl who had been dancing with John B.

“Sarah!” you gasped, panic rising in your chest as you pushed your way through the mess of people to reach her.

You rushed to her, your heart pounding as you helped her back to her feet. “Are you okay?” you asked, worry thick in your voice.

Before Sarah could answer, Kie appeared, shoving the girl who had knocked Sarah down. “Move, bitch!” Kie snapped, her voice filled with fury. “What's your problem?”

The girl whipped around, her face red with anger. “Hey, what the hell? Whose side are you on?” the girl demanded, glaring at Kie.

Kie stood her ground, her voice sharp and unwavering. “She’s my friend.”

“You belong with us!” the girl shouted, her voice rising over the noise of the fight still raging behind you.

As the chaos continued, you saw the pogues managing to pull Topper off of John B, and in a rush, they all ran, scattering into the darkness to escape the growing frenzy of the party gone wrong.

You grabbed Sarah’s hand tightly as you both ran, your heart pounding in your chest. Tonight had started out as an escape, but it had only served to remind you of how much everything was falling apart.

•°•°•°•°•°•

After the chaos of the bonfire party, you needed a way to calm your mind. You had been tense all night, your emotions swirling after seeing John B, Sarah, and the fight that broke out. You couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened with Rafe, and the weight of your thoughts was starting to feel unbearable.

When you got home, you grabbed one of the joints you’d bought earlier at the party. You weren’t usually one to smoke alone, but tonight, you needed to quiet your mind. You went out to the small balcony outside your room, lit the joint, and took a deep drag, feeling the smoke fill your lungs.

The effect was almost immediate. The haze of the weed made your body relax, your mind drifting away from all the chaos, if only for a moment. You leaned back against the wall, closing your eyes as the tension in your body melted away.

But as you stood there in the silence, your thoughts slowly crept back in, refusing to be fully silenced. You kept replaying the last few weeks in your head—Rafe, the confusion, the moments of anger and passion. You took another drag, trying to push it all down, but your mind wouldn’t let you forget.

Something had been off for days now, and no matter how much you tried to ignore it, you couldn't escape the feeling. It had been about two weeks since you and Rafe had been together, and the thought of what might be happening inside your body was beginning to haunt you.

You took another hit from the joint, hoping the weed would dull the creeping anxiety, but it only made you focus more on your body. The symptoms were subtle at first—sore breasts, fatigue, and mood swings. And your period, which was usually so regular, was late. You tried not to panic, convincing yourself it could be delayed because of stress. But the days kept passing, and still, nothing.

Your mind wandered to that night with Rafe when things between you blurred in the heat of emotion. You had convinced yourself it was fine, that he would pull out in time, but now you weren’t so sure. The memory of that moment played over and over in your head, mixing with the worries you’d been trying to suppress.

The more you thought about it, the more the possibility became real. Panic started to bubble up inside you. Could you actually be pregnant? No, you tried to tell yourself. It was just stress, right? Everything had been overwhelming lately, with Rafe, with Sarah, with everything falling apart. But the feeling wouldn’t go away, that gnawing sense of uncertainty that something was happening inside your body that you couldn’t control.

You stubbed out the joint, realizing that no amount of smoke could quiet your mind anymore. That’s when you knew you couldn’t wait any longer. You needed to know.

•°•°•°•°•°•

The next morning, you went to the pharmacy. The walk there felt like a blur, your heart pounding in your chest as you tried to mentally prepare yourself for what could come. You grabbed the pregnancy test and hurried out, barely making eye contact with the cashier.

You went straight home, shutting yourself in the bathroom, your mind racing with the possibilities. You stood in front of the mirror for a moment, your reflection staring back at you, pale and anxious. What would happen if you were pregnant? What would you tell Rafe? What would you tell anyone?

Taking a deep breath, you opened the box and followed the instructions. Your hands were shaking as you did what you needed to do. When it was done, you placed the test on the counter and stared at it, waiting.

Each second felt like an eternity, and your mind was racing. You couldn’t help but think about everything—the decisions you’d made, the emotions that had led you here. And now, you were waiting for an answer that could change everything.

TAGS: @wearemadeofstardust0 @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @thepopcultureaddict @deeznuggetsbebussin @wtfdudesblog @davinashifts333@pvyden

[belethlegwen]

WAIT but what about my absolute darlings Kendrick and Lionus in a Rescue situation. Separate or together (have you ever thought about pairs or groups in a Rescue situation? I think Melanie would be a good hostess 💜 maybe Daniel could be better behaved w his emotional support Peter. Like dogs you need to kennel together)

Anyways I hope Kendrick would have a wonderful time because he seems like a little thrill seeker after it all. I hope he would not get motion sickness in cars so he could enjoy going fast and off-roading 🫶 Would Lionus enjoy not having to be a part of the military culture anymore? I am sooo fascinated by what his deal is, that he’s so kind, that he doesn’t care for the high hats, that for all he understands everyone else nobody around him seems to really get him. LIONUS MY BELOVED. Somebody should take care of HIM for once !!!

I’m lovinggg your asks btw even if you don’t answer I hope this repays a bit of the joy you’re putting out in the world <3

Aaaaaaa ;-; I'm so glad you love Lionus!! He's a very sweet man and YES! He deserves to be taken care of for a change!!

Kendrick alone would be completely terrified, just at a total loss of what to do in any kind of Rescue situation. Should he run? Hide? Should he listen to the person who saved him, and just accept the help he's being given, or should he be suspicious and cautious and trying to get back home by any means necessary? He's young and inexperienced, and hadn't even really found a strong sense of himself just yet. This would shake everything the man knew about himself, his world... all of it. I don't know if he would desperately try to cling to a vision of who he thought he would be and the life he was hopefully going to have back home, or if he would adapt to the new situation and just... roll with it from there.

Lionus, alone or with Kendrick, would be extremely cautious in a Rescue situation. I would say almost to the point of being suspicious of everything, at least for a while. On his own, he'd play it as safely as possible to make sure he wasn't getting on anyone's bad side, but I think after it was established that nothing terrible was going to happen to him-- that he wasn't going to be forced to change or behave in certain ways, be forced through any kind of terrible living conditions or the like-- he would eventually come to a moment of release. A lot of reflection, a lot of personal change in who he was and the role he had so fiercely fought to have and maintain through his years in the service. He'd finally start to process a lot of what had happened to and around him.

With Kendrick with him, he would be wildly protective of Kendrick. Kendrick would come first in basically every way, and he'd make it a point to advocate for the boy whenever and however necessary. Kendrick, being with Lionus, would defer to him and just remain in his private-role of sorts for a much longer time. He'd take Lionus' lead, listen to Lionus' direction, and it would take a hot while for the boy to really make any kinds of decisions for himself if Lionus was willing to step into that Leadership role in this new place.

Which is one of the reasons I have a hard time thinking of a Rescue situation with a group/pairs mindset, without making it a whole thing of having the pairs/groups be wildly changed up to really shake up dynamics anyway. For example, with Peter and Daniel together in the Rescue situation, I worry Daniel wouldn't just... avoid really learning anything or changing as much as possible, but that he'd kind of strangle any change or growth that Peter would experience in that situation unless there were major, dramatic tension that came up between them as a result/throughout the events of whatever that story would be.

Daniel and Lionus together? Holy shit. What a dynamic and situation. The two of them were barely tolerant of each other and essentially stayed out of each other's way as much as possible before the events of the Stranding. To wind up in a Rescue situation together would lay a lot of themselves bare to each other in a way they likely hadn't been with anyone else before in their lives.

Peter and Devon? That could be interesting as well, but isn't the same powder keg as Daniel and Lionus would be. I would honestly say Peter and Henry would be a wild dynamic to have in the Rescue together, at least in terms of Henry at the start of The Rescue and Peter at the start of The Stranding, because they were both used to being leaders and Captains/Commanders, and they both had/have wildly different ways of solving problems and adapting to situations.

Thank you so so SO much for the ask, and for caring about Lionus ;-; that touches my heart so much!

[penny00dreadful]

Somebody To Love - Part 3

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 AO3

Looks like we're going the direction of two parts here = one chapter on AO3 so consider this your sneaky peek for chapter two! 😘

Eddie was not spiralling.

He was not.

He had not fallen into a complete self-destructive hole after his world was rocked by the sudden and out of nowhere realisation that Steve Harrington… Steve fucking Harrington, his employee, his best friend, his babysitter, his god-damn saving grace, his… his everything… was in love with him?

It hadn't...

It couldn't...

He refused to believe it.

So what if he had called the guy from the video shoot yesterday. 

So what if he had taken him back to his home and done exactly what he had planned to do to him last night, for hours.

It wasn’t like he was trying to prove anything to himself.

It wasn’t like all of these god-damn feelings, that had cropped up in the wake of that realisation, were fucking drowning him and he needed to do something about them. To make them go away, to fuck them out and all but destroy the body underneath him to make himself believe that all of this was just some crossed wires or misinterpretation or him seeing things where there wasn’t anything to be seen.

Because there couldn’t be anything.

There couldn’t be.

But Eddie was forced to recon with the fact that maybe he had been running again when he woke up the next morning and looked over to find that bruised and tender expanse of skin stretched across the back of that guy from the video shoot and fuck, he couldn’t even remember his name.

Eddie had made a rule for himself some years ago after a particularly harrowing experience to never ever sleep with someone who seemed just a little bit too eager to have him specifically again. 

And Jesus H. Christ had this guy been eager. 

It wasn’t unusual, people clamouring to get into his pants. But there was a difference in between them and the type that this guy was.

Something just a little unsettling in hindsight about how badly he wanted Eddie to mark him up. To put bruises and bite marks and handprints on him, like it was some kind of trophy to parade around. 

Look at me! Look at all these marks I got a rockstar to put into my skin!

Like, everything had been consensual on both ends, of course it had. No matter how deep Eddie would go, he would never lose himself like that. 

But it still left a bad taste in his mouth in the light of day. Like Eddie could’ve carved his name into the guys forehead and he would have said thank you. Like it would be something for him to post online or scream from the rooftops about like a badge of honour that never ended well.

Eddie slid out of his bed, being thankful not for the first time that the obscene amount of money he had now allowed him the space and budget to buy a bed big enough to fit at least four grown men easily.

And it had, a few times in the past. 

Shit.

Maybe he wasn’t as in control of everything as he’d always thought he was. Had he ever been? Had he ever had a proper handle on the amount of sex or drugs or alcohol he’d subjected his body and mind to?

Deep down he knew the answer to that. He’d known the answer to that for a very long time, he’d just never wanted to admit it to himself. 

Not before now.

He'd never had a handle on it.

Because Steve had had a handle on it for him. 

Steve had always been the one keeping him at a relatively safe level, ever since he’d come into his life all those years ago. Ever since the first time he’d had to stick his fingers down Eddie’s throat and ride with him to the hospital to get his stomach pumped. 

He’d never been allowed to get to that level again.

Jesus H. Christ Eddie was just one walking giant fucking red flag, wasn’t he? What the hell did Steve see in him?

He felt like he was walking downstairs with a cartoon cloud hanging over his head.

Eddie didn’t stop at the kitchen, just continuing on down to the basement, reaching out for his guitar like a lifeline. He curled up on the couch and picked out nonsense on the strings, letting whatever music came out of him compliment his sour mood.

Eddie didn’t know how long he stayed down there, but eventually his mood started to lift. Music was always a bit of a gift for him like that. It always managed to make him feel better.

It was only when he caught sight of a melting bright pink frappuccino sitting on the coffee table that he started to panic.

Because that meant that Steve was here. 

Of course Steve was here, Steve was always here, taking care of him and cleaning up his messes.

He realised then why he’d felt so comfortable leaving that guy alone in his house, alone in his bedroom while he hid underground like a worm.

Because he’d done it so many times before.

Because he’d always left it up to Steve to show the guys the door while Eddie fucked off to do whatever it was he decided he was doing that day, oftentimes exactly what he was doing now, brooding in his basement studio with his guitar.

He didn’t know what it was this time around but he couldn’t shake the feeling that if Steve came face to face with the guy upstairs it would be disastrous. Something would happen, something would go wrong.

Except he did know why it was different this time, of course he did. Because this time was the first time he was fully aware of Steve’s potential feelings for him and what it must do to him every time he had to go kick Eddie’s latest conquest out of the house.

He shot to his feet but only made it halfway up the stairs before the sound of the front door slamming shut echoed around the house and he froze in place.

Another creak came from up above and he shot back into action, running up the remaining steps like a bat out of hell and barrelling straight into the man himself.

“Jesus.” Steve had both of his hands on Eddie’s arms to steady him, he looked as put together as he always did but there was something about his posture that was off. He was a little too stiff, his eyes were slightly red and his face had a slight flush to it. 

He looked like he’d been crying.

Or trying desperately not to.

“What happened?” Eddie clutched back at the lapels of Steve's suit jacket in a panic and Steve himself looked momentarily bewildered at Eddie's desperation before he tried to brush it off.

“Sent the guy home,” he shrugged, “the usual.”

“Something happened, tell me.” Eddie couldn't explain it, he felt like something was slipping through his fingers and he was powerless to stop it.

Steve shook his head. “Nothing happened, Eds.”

“No, no. Something happened, Stevie. What was it? Did the guy say something to you or-”

Steve’s face shuttered, that infuriating blank mask was put back into place.

Eddie dug his fingers in. “What did he say?”

“It’s- he didn’t say anything.”

“No, Stevie, sweetheart, tell me please. Please.”

“Eddie.” Steve’s voice was firm and unwavering. He let go of Eddie’s arms and prised himself out of his grip. “Drop it, alright? It’s nothing for you to worry about. He’s left. It’s done.”

Opportunity gone, that was the only thing cycling through Eddie’s head at that moment. He’d missed something, let something pass him by but he didn’t know what.

Steve wouldn’t be argued with, when he didn’t want to talk about something the guy was a fortress and no amount of needling would get it out of him.

“Okay.” He almost whispered as Steve turned, walking further into the house without a backwards glance.

Eddie didn’t follow him, he couldn’t. If Steve wanted space to deal with whatever the fuck happened, he’d give him space. Though he did have half a mind to call up that guy and find out just what the fuck he had done to make Steve react like that.

Steve had never been outwardly riled up by anyone Eddie had slept with before, he'd always been polite smiles and gentle but firm demeanour unless whoever it was decided they could boss him around too.

Then the smile turned cutting and he became more firm than gentle but he never got upset.

Nearly the whole day had passed before he saw Steve again, hidden away somewhere in his giant house, which was very unusual for the both of them. When Eddie wasn’t touring or writing or doing whatever else he needed to do for work he and Steve were inseparable. They hung out constantly, Steve practically lived in Eddie’s biggest guest room during those times.

But when he did see Steve again, it was with a cold pit of dread settling in his stomach. Because Steve was dressed casual. Like he wasn't at work anymore. Like he was... like he was leaving.

“I think I need a vacation.” His tone was light, but forced. Like he was trying to convince the two of them it would just be a simple jaunty outing and everything was fine.

Right.

A vacation.

Right.

Steve wasn’t leaving forever. He was just taking a break.

Eddie could handle that.

He could.

Steve deserved it after all. He’d been running around after Eddie for so long, always so dedicated, always so…

He deserved a vacation. He really, honestly, truly did.

“How-” Eddie cleared his throat and wrapped his arms around himself. “How long will you be gone?”

Steve looked at him with something close to relief that Eddie wasn’t putting up a fight with him. Maybe, just maybe there was a thread of sadness underneath it all but it was so difficult to see.

“A couple of weeks. Maybe a month. I don’t know. I don’t think I’ll know until I get there.”

“Oh, one of those vacations, huh?” He laughed. Or attempted to. It was pathetically flat.

“Yeah. One of those.” Steve stepped forward and enveloped Eddie in a hug, warm and solid and soft and all encompassing, like he always was. “I’m… I’m gonna try to switch off, I think. So I’ll probably be out of contact for most of it.” Eddie nodded against Steve’s neck and squeezed him around the middle as tight as he could.

He wasn’t leaving forever, he was going to come back.

He was going to come back and everything would be fine and it would all work out. 

“Where-?” Eddie shook his head. Steve wanted to get away and Eddie didn’t need to know where he was going. It would be fine. Everything would be fine. “Never mind.”

“I’ve already got my replacements lined up. They’ll be here in the morning. You’ll like them. Promise.”

Eddie pulled his head back, still comfortably settled in Steve’s arms but able to see his face now.

Close enough to kiss.

Eddie wanted to kiss.

“More than one?” He said instead.

"You're a handful." Steve smiled, a familiar, easy, mean thing. “I’ve left them a list.”

“A list?” Eddie huffed, wedging his arms in between the two of them so he could cross them over his chest before burrowing his head back into Steve’s neck. “You’ve left them a list like I’m some pedigree dog.”

“You are a pedigree dog.” Steve lifted his arm and patted him on the head, like he was petting him, like a dog, the bitch.

“I’ll miss you.” It was muffled and barely audible to Eddie’s own ears but Steve still heard it.

Of course he did.

Steve’s hand gentled, sliding to cup the back of his head. “I’ll miss you too.”

A car beeped outside and Steve finally let go, stepping back out of Eddie’s space.

Steve was leaving.

Steve was leaving now and Eddie wasn't doing anything about it. Was there anything he could do to make him stay? Anything he could do that wouldn't break the two of them?

With one hand on the front door Steve turned to look back at him. “See you in a few weeks, Eds.”

Eddie had to swallow down the golf ball in his throat and try to ignore the cavernous ache in his heart that had just sprung up to be able to respond but somehow he managed. “I’ll be waiting.”

With a small smile and two light pats on the doorframe, Steve was gone.

Eddie stood there with his arms clenched tightly around himself in his big empty rockstar foyer, in his big empty rockstar house long after the car had pulled away, long after the automatic sensor of the porch light switched off, long enough to feel the ache in his knees, his hips, his back from standing so still for so long. 

He trudged upstairs still in a haze, bypassing his bedroom and heading straight into the biggest guest room of the house.

It was always kept pristine.

Eddie had worried initially that Steve had felt unwelcome here when he’d first started using the room but then he slowly came to realise that that’s just who Steve was.

Neat and tidy.

In nearly everything he did.

Eddie slid under the covers and burrowed his head in deep, deep into the pillow that smelled of hairspray and amber cologne.

He swallowed around that fucking golf ball that was only getting higher, threatening to spill over as he pulled out his phone and dialled.

“Twinkie!” Her bright voice came through despite the late hour.

“Chrissy.” Eddie gasped out her name as his sob finally broke free, shocking himself at just how harsh it was.

“Where are you? What’s wrong? Do I need to call Steve?”

He hiccupped in a breath. “No, don’t call him. He's... I’m at home-”

“Okay, I’m on my way, honey.”

She stayed on the phone the whole drive over, they didn’t talk. He just quietly wept over the line until it went dead when her footsteps could be heard coming down the hall.

Chrissy crawled under the covers next to him without a word, just pulled him into her chest and let him cry.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 AO3

@lifeisnotsobadonceyoustopcaring @child-of-cthulhu @sweetwaterangel @anaibis @katytheinspiredworkaholic @littlewildflowerkitten

[beskarthief]

Chapter 3 of the Star Wars fic "Order 65". The rest can be found here.

19 BBY, Coruscant, Coruscant Underworld

 They'd traded one Imperial for ten thousand more. Rex shook his head. It was going to take a lot more than removing Rampart from power to take down the Empire. And they were running out of time.

 Watching Echo part ways with Clone Force 99 the night before had been bittersweet. Rex was eternally grateful to his brother for standing by him, but some part of him wished he'd stayed away. Out there, with the others, Echo's safety wasn't his responsibility. He didn't want to fail anymore of his men. Of his brothers.

 Jesse. Kix. Hardcase. Tup. Fives.

 The list went through his mind as he lay on the hard cot. He opened his eyes, watching the early morning sunlight play across the ceiling above him.

 Denal. Oz. Ringo. Echo.

 Metal clanged below him as his brother shifted on the bottom bunk. He still preferred to sleep down there, even now. He didn't say it, but Rex knew it was because sometimes, in the morning, he could imagine that Fives was in the bunk above like he used to be, still fast asleep.

 Echo rolled over again, nearing waking as the sun continued to shine it's pitiful few rays into the Coruscant underbelly. Not much light reached them down here, beyond the artificial kind. And there wasn't much of that to go around, either. But sometimes in the early morning, if the sun reflected just right off a descending transport, a few weak rays would shine into the tunnels that descended deep into Coruscant's underbelly and grace them with a faint bit of morning light.

 Rex watched as they finished their crawl across the ceiling and snuffed out. Below him, Echo shifted again. Metal clinked aginsat metal once more.

 Rex had failed his brother once already. He wasn't going to do it again.

 Rolling out of bed, he clambered silently down the ladder and paced out across the hangar bay. The Martez sisters had been kind enough to lend them the space while they were off scouting, but he knew they wouldn't be safe here forever. You could only hide under the enemey’s nose for so long before they caught a whiff. And Rex knew they didn't have the forces to back them up yet.

 It was just him, Echo, and Drixx. Once in a while, when he wasn't playing spy. The clone might be sour to speak to, but he could play a fine good Imperial. Rex wondered how long it would be until somebody found him out. Hopefully not until they had a plan in place to extract him.

 Because that was the problem. Rex had ideas, he had contacts, but he didn't have any plans. You couldn't have plans when all you had was three men and enough credits to last you a week, at best.

 Rex picked up his datapad from where he'd left it the night before and sat on a nearby crate. If they could just find out where they were taking all the clones, then maybe, just maybe, he could finally do something. They could finally end this kriffing war.

 "Couldn't sleep?"

 Rex glanced up to see Echo standing a few paces away, adjusting the socket of his arm how some people might stretch after a good night's sleep.

 "Have you heard anything from Drixx yet?" Rex asked, standing up and setting his datapad aside.

 Echo shook his head. "He said it would probably be a couple of days."

 Rex nodded, crossing to the crate they were using as a table and bracing himself against it, surveying the scattered notes and charts as though they meant something. Different systems and planets had been circled seemingly at random, all tips they had received as to where the captured clones might be being held. There were too many for them to check each one, but they had tried. So far, every lead had come up empty or, worse, they'd been too late arriving.

 Rex knew Drixx was doing his best with what he had, but there was only so much a clone Private could find out on his own. Clearance was becoming an issue. The fact that he was a clone was becoming an issue.

 "How are you holding up, Captain?" Echo asked, stepping up beside him.

 Rex sighed. "I'm nobody's Captain, Echo."

 That title had gone down with the Venator. And his men.

 "You'll always be my Captain, Rex."

 Rex glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Echo's expression didn't read of pity, which was probably what he deserved. It was stoic, with a hint of that half smile his brother Fives had always worn.

 He took a deep breath. "No point sitting around while Drixx is out there risking his butt for us, then."

 Echo's hand flew to his forehead in a salute. "Sir, yes, sir."

 He moved to stand across from Rex, spreading out the maps and glancing down at them. "Where do we start?"

 Rex pointed to the nearest highlighted spot. He couldn’t give up on his brothers. Not yet. Not ever.

 "There. We start there."

[donnerpartyofone]

Have you ever read any of Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol comic book stuff? I think it's so weird and overlooked

Is it overlooked? Isn't there a recent TV adaptation of it? I'd agree that it's not as big as Avengers or whatever, but frankly anything that's *smart* tends to be a little more niche and not-for-everybody, and that kind of makes it special, not to be such a snob. But no, I never read it, it's a personal failing. My exposure to the British Invasion is kind of spotty to be honest; I read a lot of Preacher and Transmetropolitan, not very much Hellblazer for some reason, I forget what else. I read From Hell and V and Watchmen, naturally, but I never forgave Alan Moore for Lost Girls, what an obnoxious piece of shit! The major Grant Morrison title I read (setting aside little random things like We3 and some Seven Soldiers stuff) was The Invisibles, which I was really hot and cold on. It's a great repository for Morrison's amateur pop culture scholarship and it is written with a kind of infectious passion, but I felt like if the premise is "the stifling forces of order and conformity vs. the liberating forces of rebellion and anarchy", that gets kind of sabotaged by the fact that the chaos agents still have to be represented as cliches and stereotypes for them to be legible to the reader. Like a true non-conformist wouldn't just look exactly like Johnny Rotten or whoever, a real rebel wouldn't be so straight-from-central-casting. So there's kind of a big flaw in the basic conceit, because in order to have archetypal resonance, you have to default to preordained cookie cutter images (in this case of flappers and mods and harlequins and stuff), which is the opposite of the whole idea of the winds of change and the triumph of individuality and everything.

I'm sorry, this is totally not what you asked, I'm just riffing now. I have every reason to believe Doom Patrol is really great! Maybe I'll get around to it some day, but I haven't read a superhero comic in a long time. The last time I read them really devotedly was in a time before irony, to be frank, and sometimes I find modern titles a little too *knowing*, like a little too smug and proudly self-aware at the expense of having an engrossing narrative with convincing characters. (And if the only alternative is soapy fetishistic bullshit of the Joss Whedon variety then I am REALLY not about it) It's funny because I have this memory of reading Grant Morrison's Marvel Boy miniseries that was drawn by J.G. Jones when it first came out and I was a teenager, and it blew my mind so hard! I thought Jones was everything, I would have done anything to be able to draw like him, and it didn't hurt that I knew somebody who was friends with him and I got to visit his studio once and it was probably pretty obvious that I immediately fell in love with him. But that Marvel Boy series had a bit of a meta, post-modern quality to it, which at the time wasn't so common and I found it really excitingly intelligent--so I raved about it to this friend of mine, one of my best friends in high school who was slightly older and who I looked up to in some ways, and he just sneered and spat something about how it's fucked up that comics aren't this innocent thing for kids anymore, and he refused to do more than glance at the pages of this very slick, adult book that I loved and wanted to share with him. And I mean now that everything feels like its saturated with this juvenile sense of irony, I kind of get where he was coming from! Even though I still think he was being a dick to me at the time, because in hindsight I've realized how our friendship was a total one-way street and he would say this stuff to me about how I was "still a mystery" to him and he'd make it sound like he was anxious to get to know the Real Me, but if I let him in on anything he didn't directly relate to in a personal way then he wouldn't even tolerate a conversation about it. Ahem. This is also not part of your question at all. But now you know! My sincerest apologies.

[silenceofthewave]

"Blaster: Jealous."

The red visor turned to look at him for just a moment. Blaster was perhaps the most irritating of all the Autobots. Sure, Prowl was irritatingly calculating and always managed to at least get a majority of his objectives done, Jazz was a capable SPECOPs coordinator and agent that more often than not would get under Soundwave's plating, but Blaster?

Blaster was another tape deck. Blaster always tried to tout his superiority over Soundwave as a deployer. For some unfathomable reason he seemed to think he did a better job as communications chief than Soundwave ever did.

Which was wrong. There was no one better than Soundwave. The reason why the Decepticons were a still a threat is because of Soundwave. Who else could hold their forces together? Maybe that's why Megatron left without him in the first place.

Somebody has to take care of their shambling army.

The deployer let out a low growl as Blaster got closer. Ravage was pinging him again- something she never did unless whatever she found was of the upmost importance. Soundwave knew he couldn't let anyone- let alone Blaster- get their stinking paws on the precious cargo.

Instead of stepping to meet Blaster, Soundwave moved into the ship. The vessel was derelict; undoubtedly it had sustained most of this damage from the crash landing. Paneling had fallen off the ceiling and walls, pipes and wires were exposed and hanging down. It was a veritable hazard walking in here, with all the sparks and steam. However, the eeriest part was that no one was aboard. No bodies, no one clinging to life. Nothing.

He assumed most of the mechs would be in the bridge. His mind was spinning with possibilities of what could have happened. Were they boarded and captured? Did they abandon ship? Was the ship in for repairs and accidently got set loose? There wasn't enough information to make any logical guess for now. He'd have to hunt around.

For now, Soundwave followed the directions provided by Ravage to a large stasis facility. All of the stasis pods were opened and empty. Yet another strange occurence on this ship. Still, there was no time for meandering.

Soundwave picked up the pace. He knew Blaster would be close behind. The fight would be easier as long as Ravage was here.

The doors Soundwave was looking for were already open. Ravage sat inside next to a large pill-like capsule, her tail wrapped neatly around her paws. She looked to Soundwave then to the capsule.

.: Look inside. :.

Soundwave gave Ravage a bit of an irritated look. She wasn't one to keep surprises, especially when they were under pressure. Nonetheless, he peered inside and almost shorted out.

A protoform.

[closed starter for @risingxsparks ; Blaster]

The signal the Decepticons had picked up was mere hours old. It was some sort of distress call from a neutral ship, blasting on all frequencies. Of course, that meant the Autobots had inevitably picked it up too.

A ship was a lifeline, no matter what shape it was in. Ships can be fixed. A ship was a way home- a way back to Cybertron. That's why the Autobots could not be allowed to get their hands on it. They had already destroyed the space bridge, they had already tried to continue to tear their species apart, they had almost certainly destroyed the Allspark.

At this point, what was there left to lose? The Decepticons refused to be stuck on this dustball- Soundwave refused to be stuck here. Even if that meant repairing an unrepairable ship and going home to a dead planet, Soundwave would not be stuck in a place full of reminders.

Therefore, finding this ship was more than necessary. It was a lifeline. Truly, the Decepticons were lucky they had Soundwave. From his most recent intelligence report, a certain Autobot communications officer had somehow found the rest of his team. Which meant that the Decepticons were at even more of a disadvantage. Soundwave, in his mind, was their only leg up- and now he had a capable counterpart.

Tracking the ship had been easy enough. Its signal was unencrypted and loud. When Soundwave arrived, it could see how the disturbed earth around it was still fresh, not yet baked by the sun. Soundwave transformed, landing on a small incline overlooking the wreckage.

He released Laserbeak and Ravage with the directive of recon. Their video feeds popped up on his HUD as they took off. Three sets of optics were always better than one. Laserbeak circled overhead, searching for any kind of unwanted company while Ravage headed for the ship. Soundwave stayed put, surveying the wreckage.

Mere minutes passed before Laserbeak reported in, .: Red, rude and ugly at 3 o'clock, boss. :.

.: Roger. :.

The eyecatching red paint was not hard to spot. For someone who claimed to be a spy master, Blaster truly did not look the part. It was annoying that he even thought he could operate on the same level as Soundwave.

He slid down the side of the incline, landing on steady pedes. The ground, thankfully, was sturdy enough to support his weight without sinking down much. If Soundwave needed to fight, he'd at least not be encumbered by mud.

.: Might wanna hurry it up, though. :. Ravage chimed in. .: Found somethin' you're gonna wanna see. :.

[oshiawaseni]

thinking about Bakugo basically cornering himself with "I don't expect this to change anything" oh he wants it all to change so bad... literally giggling and kicking my feet OUR BOY'S SHY AND POLITE AND HE'S BEEN SILENTLY SUFFERING NOT TO PUT PRESSURE ON MIDORIYA

I was just thinking about this not even 2 days ago. What he's saying is definitely not matching how he truly feels because in the bath later that day, he insists again on calling Izuku by his true name. Aside from putting to rest their negative history and how "Deku" was first formed, to help relieve any extra pressure Izuku might still suffer from it, we KNOW that's also his way of being and feeling CLOSER to Izuku. He was telling him that he is now somebody Izuku can trust, and honestly? Kacchan was loving him quite earnestly at this point. :')

"Words like 'impossible' don't even exist in my dictionary."

Lmao "he didn't expect them to change" and yet, he wasn't going to relent on being allowed to feel closer to Izuku, no matter what. He had definitely been struggling with feelings of not knowing how to change their dynamic to what he knew should have been 'close'. The people around them often commented on them being "childhood friends" despite them not being emotionally close (I'd say what they had was a spiritual closeness), and he would watch as Izuku formed these close friendships with others with a kind of... longing? that things could be different between them.

He needed their relationship to match the softness that had formed, the love he now felt for Izuku with no outlet to go that was building deep inside his heart (sigh), and ch 322+327 was him finally being honest to Izuku and HIMSELF about it and giving priority to his own emotional needs maybe for the first time in his life.

[radioactivepeasant]

Ambush! It's an unscheduled Free Day Thursday!

It's my b-day and I can break my scheduling rules if I darn well please. And yes, it's more Meddling Mar. I'm chipping away at Faulty Info writer's block and working on a different project for a bit usually rejuvenates my writer brain.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

As much as he hated to admit it, the monks' disgusting "desert lily" juice did do a lot to make Jak less lethargic and thirsty. Not that he would ever admit it. It was embarrassing enough when the monks would come each day to make him practice walking. He hated that he had to lean on them for support just to get to the latrine. It had been days, right? Why did he still feel so weak? He'd been able to run mere minutes after the final dark eco injection!

Part of him wondered if perhaps he healed faster when he was in imminent danger. If the dark eco merely kept his body moving and in fighting condition, just waiting for the next chance to come out. Maybe it just went back to being a detriment when he was truly at rest. But how would he know? Jak didn't think he'd actually had a chance to sleep in since- well, probably since before he convinced Daxter to go to Misty Island with him.

By the third day, he was sick of it. Sick of the medicine, sick of feeling helpless, and sick of the boring beige clay covering metal wallframes imperfectly. So when Mar once again suggested an escape, he was pretty sure he could force his legs to keep moving long enough to see something other than this stupid recovery ward.

"There's stairs right when you get through the door," Mar told him as he hauled himself out of bed. "I haven't tried going up yet, but I know there's always somebody downstairs."

"Well let's just start with me not falling down the stairs and cracking my head open," Jak answered flatly. "Did either of you see what they did with my goggles?"

Mar lifted blankets and pillows, then turned to shrug. "Maybe we'll find them upstairs?"

Tugging Jak's arm with one hand, and grabbing Daxter's hand with the other, Mar tried to pull them out of the alcove. He was eager to leave, and with his brothers both awake, now was the perfect time.

 "So!" A booming voice echoed through the ward, curtailing the boys' escape attempt. "You've come back from the dead, have you?"

Jak instinctively shoved Mar behind him and whirled to face the door. The man blocking the exit wasn't the tallest person he'd ever seen, but his shoulders were broad and his frame was solid enough that Jak knew he wasn't going to be able to just push past him. 

"And here my monks were, ready to pray for you."

The man folded his arms across his chest and smirked.

Daxter tensed up and pointed. "Jak! It's-!"

Mar scowled. "Thats-"

"The Snitch?"

The man's smirk stretched into a sharp grin that put Jak in mind of a shark. 

"I'm afraid I'm here to ruin your escape attempt again, little Secret."

"Um."

Jak frowned and fruitlessly tried to push Mar behind him again, towards the beds.

"What are you talking about?"

The horned man -- or crowned or something -- strolled into the ward like he owned the place. "Well, every time I ask his name, he says it's "A Secret," after all."

He tilted his head towards Mar, that strange smile still glued on.

"Hmm, maybe I should have asked before. Do you prefer to go by "A-Sec"? Or "Cret"?"

Mischief sparkled in his dark eyes. 

"What about "Seek"? Should we call you Seek?"

Mar's face twisted in confusion. "You're weird."

Daxter snorted. "That is not the worst nickname you coulda gotten, kid. Trust me."

"Where are we?" Jak demanded. 

Fatigue pulled at his limbs, draining his resolve faster than he'd expected. But he didn't want to go back to bed, not until he had some answers.

"How did we get here? Who are you people?!"

"The nation of Spargus, I fished you out of the Strider Range, and Damas, king of Spargus, in that order," the man answered archly.

A king?!

In hindsight, Jak thought that might have explained the weird spikes coming out of his skull. But it didn't explain much else.

"Spargus?"

He said the name slowly, and fought back a yawn.

"Wait, nobody lives outside Haven's walls!" Jak sputtered, "Not a whole city!"

"Ah, yes." The king’s tone was dry. "We are the...forgotten ones. The refuse of cities like Haven, thrown out and left to die."

Oh.

Jak supposed it made sense that he wasn't the first person Haven had done this to, but it still managed to surprise him.

"Sounds like us," he muttered bitterly.

"Mm." The king stepped forward, straight into the little alcove where the boys had been sleeping. "Right: back to bed with you."

Mar shook his head fiercely. "Go away! It's not bedtime!"

Damas didn’t look offended. If anything, he looked amused.

"It is for Jak, little one. The sooner he sleeps off this ordeal, the sooner we can integrate you into the city."

The brothers glanced at each other. 

"Who said we wanted to be part of your city?" Jak demanded.

"We're trying to get to some place called the Lighthouse."

All at once, Damas threw back his head and laughed.

"The light- the Lighthouse?" He shook his head and spread his arms wide. "Young one, you're in the Lighthouse!"

Daxter hopped up to the bed when it became obvious that this Damas guy wasn't going to let them leave. 

"Uh, hate to interrupt here but- aren't lighthouses usually, y'know, near water?"

Damas smirked. He bent down and scooped up Daxter without so much as a by-your-leave, then held the offended ottsel up to the window cut into the stone wall.

"Tell me what you see."

It was the first time Daxter had gotten close to the window. He gripped the sill as a wave of nostalgia crashed over him. 

The air was clean, and clear.

He could see so far-!

"It's...it's the ocean!" he gasped.

"Jak! Jak, we made it to the ocean! And the water is still clean!"

"You serious?!"

Jak scrambled up onto the bed to peer out the higher window overhead.

Sure enough, seabirds wheeled over an endless expanse of blue. Waves rolled and crashed as though they'd never heard of all the pollution of Haven, and Jak could have sworn he glimpsed something absolutely massive moving under the water. 

It was so much like the view from Sentinel Beach.

Even after standing in the ruins of Samos’s hut, Jak knew that this was the closest he'd felt to home. 

Damas set Daxter down and leaned casually against the wall.

"So. A couple children from Haven, trying to make it to unmarked shores. What were you hoping to accomplish?"

Caught up in nostalgia, Jak absently answered, "As long as I can see the ocean, I'm still free."

Surprise creased the king’s forehead, followed by an unexpected understanding.

He nodded slowly. 

"You'd be surprised how many of us come to Spargus with the same thoughts."

Something wry and a little self-deprecating crossed his face. 

"And how many of us get here on the edge of death’s door, like you. The Lighthouse represents the hope of both freedom and rescue to those stranded by their enemies. Once we're rescued, though, our lives belong to each other and the nation of Spargus, to be used for the city's good."

Jak dropped from the window to crouch on the bed, and a dark, suspicious look entered his eyes. 

"What do you mean "belong to"?" 

If he noticed the boy’s abruptly hostile tone, Damas didn’t indicate it. He shrugged and tipped his head back as though deep in thought.

"Out here, strength and survival are what Wastelanders respect the most. We live in a harsh land, boy. In order for there to even be a nation to accept the exiled, we all had to work to reclaim enough desert to live on."

Damas pushed off of the wall and scooped up the mortar and pestle on the table. Ignoring Jak's groan, he began methodically grinding up one of the last two leaves of Desert Lily.

"Everyone pulls their weight in Spargus," he said, lifting the pestle to point at Jak, "Be they king or recent rescue. Some serve as warriors, some as scouts. Some make things, some tend animals, some teach and tend to what few children we are granted. Without one link, the chain falls apart."

Damas straightened and looked from Jak to Daxter to Mar, more serious now. 

"Let that be your first lesson in this city: through unity, we survive. If one person shirks or throws their work onto the shoulders of another, we all suffer for it."

Daxter folded his arms and scoffed. "Somebody tell Haven that. Right, Jak?"

Jak's frown was more pensive than suspicious now.

"Does everyone live by that?" he asked pointedly, "Or just you?"

The shark grin came back.

"Oh I learned it from an old woman here, when I was the half-dead stray. Those who have been here longer than twenty years all learned the value of unity long ago."

While Jak pondered the implications of that, Damas poured a little water into a bowl. Carefully, he tipped the mortar just enough for the bitter, gel-like juices and eco of the plant to slide into the water without splashing. After a moment's stirring, the king lifted the bowl to his own lips and took a sip. Instantly, he made a face and put it down.

"Ecch. That's not well filtered. I'm going to get a cheesecloth."

He stepped out of the alcove and began rummaging through the supplies the monks had lined up neatly on carts between alcoves. 

Mar blinked twice. "What...what does cheese have to do with Jak's medicine?! Why are you so weird?!"

Bemused, Damas shook his head and turned his attention back to the search. "It's- It's for straining. I do not know -- Ah, there's one! -- I do not know why it is called a cheesecloth either."

"Because you pour the whey into it to catch the curds when you're making yakkow cheese," Daxter supplied idly. "Whey goes through the weave, curds don't. Get it? Cheese-cloth, for cheese-making."

Catching Mar's surprised look, Daxter shrugged. "Kid, I went from the brat who mucks out the barn to owning my own pub. I know everything we use yakkows for. Everything."

Mar wrinkled his nose. "We didn't have any yakkows left when we got the Rift boat working. Metalheads ate em all."

Jak recoiled. "All of them?! What- what about old Zeb? What happened to him?"

He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Sure, he'd known on a cognitive level that everyone who had lived in Sandover was long dead now. But when Mar had been living in the immediate aftermath of his departure, it was hard to think of the old folks dying. Especially if it had been in front of his younger self.

Mar shrugged with the careless nonchalance of childhood. "I dunno. Everybody that didn't get eaten moved to the jungle to hide in the Precursor ruins. We went back and forth a lot the first two years."

Jak's shoulders fell, and he nodded. "At least somebody survived, I guess."

"Samos always complains that it woulda been more if you'd gone back with us." Mar rolled his eyes. "Like he wasn't the guy who made you stay behind in the first place."

As he returned to filter the medicine, Damas read the small boy's signs in mild bewilderment. Rather quickly, he decided he wasn't going to poke that bear. Not while the boys were still recovering and in a potentially volatile state.

Samos was a name he recognized -- that Precursor History nut from the court of Haven, as he recalled, grandson of the last Green Eco sage. Damas had always found the man irritating. It seemed as if the little one, at least, shared his opinion.

"Mar, stop." Jak set his jaw and kept his signs low, partially out of sight. "We'll talk about it later."

The boy probably thought he'd been very discreet, but considering they were communicating with the lingua franca of Spargus, it was really pretty obvious. It was as if they believed they were the only signers present! Damas tucked the thought away to ponder later, preoccupied with the sign he guessed was little "Seek's" abbreviated name.

It bore a distinct similarity to his own son's nickname.

[sulphurwritesfic]

If it all ends tomorrow (alternate ending)

@wondero28 @5town ask you shall receive 🤝

CW: Mentions of plane crash, CPR, hospitals, mentions of temporary character death (?)

The italicized bit at the beginning is copy and pasted from the original fic, it’s just so you know when this takes place!!

Fic Below Cut

“They're here, they're ready to take over.” 

Aaron Z. looked up, meeting the eyes of a person in a bright orange jacket. Her bangs were plastered to her forehead. She gave him a kind smile. 

And then Robaire’s arms were around him, pulling him back. He was too exhausted to object. 

He watched them take over CPR. He watched them set up the AED. He watched them administer the first shock. 

Aaron T. jolted once, remaining limp. 

Another person, clad in an equally hideous orange jacket, watched the machine for any signs of life. 

“Nothing.” 

He sat there, and watched. Robaire didn't leave him. He didn't dare move, he didn't want to mess anything up, all the while they cycled through those steps. CPR, “clear,” shock, jolt, wait, repeat. At some point, one of the helicopters left with Jesse and Taeyoung. He supposed it should make him feel better, but he didn't want to be very far away from them, let alone let them disappear in another aircraft during a storm. 

He couldn't let himself lose hope. 

"Clear!"

Another jolt. Robaire's breath caught in his throat. 

He waited. Robaire waited. The search and rescue team waited. 

Beep. Beep.

"We have a pulse!"

He was weightless. Every ounce of pressure, every muscle in his body, every tense part of his soul eased. 

It was euphoric. Blissful. The rain stopped feeling like bullets against his metal skin, and became a cool, cleansing stream. 

He could be celebrating too early, but he knew it. He knew that some divine force had decided they needed to be five. Somewhere out there, somebody was on Aaron T.'s side, and that being was what changed whatever that crash was supposed to do. 

He knew, of course, that this wasn't meant to happen. Aaron T. shouldn't have regained his pulse, not after an injury like that. He knew enough about medicine for that. 

But it had happened, and to whatever force made that so, he was eternally grateful. 

"Ro." He nudged him. "It's over."

He squeezed Aaron Z. just a little bit tighter. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. We're going home."

"All of us?"

"All of us."

The search and rescue team split, some sticking around Aaron T. as they worked to keep him stable, and some busied themselves with checking Aaron Z. and Robaire. 

He found himself drifting. Now that safety cradled him and his adrenaline was fizzling out, the exhaustion settled back behind his eyes. He found himself fighting to keep awake, to answer the questions he needed to answer, to make sure he actually made it onto that helicopter.

***

Aaron Z. wished he was allowed to strut around the hospital and enter the other members rooms without permission from his nurse. He wished he had the freedom to do something as simple as going down to the cafeteria and picking his own lunch, but alas, the life of a celebrity. 

Ever since the company put out a statement saying that they had been involved in the crash, the hospital had been way more busy than it should be. To his nurse, Madison, he complained about them making the hospital staff's job much harder, but privately he was kind of honoured. 

They were there because they cared, you know? 

The receptionist had been collecting cards for them, so around twice a day he got a delivery of hand-drawn, sweet cards from the hospital hopping 4*Townies. 

His favourite card was done by a thirteen year old boy. He talked about his friend group a little bit, how they were all 4*Townies, and how his group of friends were all happy they were okay.

But that wasn't the part that made him love it. 

The boy went on to talk about how Aaron Z. had changed him, how he'd made him feel seen, and how someone who looked like him being successful made him believe that maybe he could be too. 

He talked about his love for basketball, his friends, and 4*Town. He wished him a speedy recovery. 

Aaron Z. was never letting this card go. It stayed on the tiny plastic table next to his bed. 

Speaking of the bi-daily card delivery, somebody knocked. 

"Come in."

Instead of the receptionist, or even his nurse, it was Taeyoung who poked his head in. 

"Surprise!"

"Tae!" He broke out into a grin. "What-"

"They just moved Jesse out of the ICU!"

"For real?"

Turns out, after getting Aaron T. on some IVs, it was actually Jesse who'd gotten the most seriously injured. He'd been pretty much entirely isolated since they got back from the island.

"Does this mean-"

Taeyoung wasn't letting him get a word in. "We can visit, yes, hurry up!"

He slipped out of bed, fumbling with the damn hospital slippers as his brain moved faster than his body. Taeyoung whisked around, not bothering to wait. 

He fell in step behind him, and soon, Robaire and Aaron T. did the same.

None of them said a word, not until they stood outside Jesse's room. His nurse was standing, arms crossed, in front of the door.

"Your doctors know you're here?"

"Mhm," Robaire said absentmindedly, "can we go in?"

"Ask him. He's allowed visitors."

Robaire slipped past Aaron Z., and knocked twice.

"Come in."

They opened the door.

Jesse's room was much nicer than his. He had a massive window, lots of natural light, and he suspected that his bedding was more comfortable too, considering how snug he was in it. 

Jesse watched them stream in with wide eyes. When they landed on Aaron T., his shoulders lowered, mouth fell agape, and eyebrows curved down.

"T.?"

"Hey." He waved awkwardly. 

Jesse looked between the four of them, speaking quietly. "You all see him too, right? He's really here?"

Aaron Z. nodded, a smile breaching his well-practised neutral face. "He's really here."

Jesse's eyes grew teary. 

"Nobody told you?" Taeyoung spared no time crawling onto his bed. 

He just shook his head, still fixated on Aaron T. 

Aaron Z. couldn't blame him. He'd done the exact same thing the first time they talked after everything. 

He nudged Aaron T., and despite seeing him, feeling him so many times before, it felt electric. That brief moment of contact was so warm, so real, so tangible that it made him relive their best times all over again.

God, he was a mess. 

Aaron T. turned ever so slightly, looking up at Aaron Z. with a tiny, probably unintentional pout. He nodded toward Jesse, and the two of them got closer to the bed. 

Jesse reached out, and cupped Aaron T.'s cheek. "It's so good to see you."

"I missed you too, super-grandpa." Aaron T. closed his eyes, and leaned into the touch.

Robaire chuckled, and sat on the far end of the bed. 

Taeyoung nuzzled into Jesse's shoulder. "You smell clean."

"Thanks?"

Aaron T. stole Jesse's hand, giving it a hearty sniff. "You do!"

Taeyoung sighed, shifting to get more comfortable. "I never thought anything would smell clean ever again."

"I bet it feels so nice to have showered."

"It actually really does," Jesse admitted. 

"Oh! Before I forget." Robaire reached a hand into his pocket. "I had a staff member bring this for you."

He opened his palm, revealing chapstick.

"Robaire!" He snatched it, popping off the lid and applying some. "Oh my God, you're the best."

"Hey! Robaire brings chapstick and suddenly you're done with me?" Aaron T. complained, "C'mon! Dote on me some more."

Jesse rolled his eyes. "I was done when you started talking about what I smell like."

"Besides," Taeyoung added, "you're the one who scared us half to death, you have no right to complain."

"In all fairness." He put his hands up. "Everyone thought I was dying, me included, so that like, cancels it out or something."

"It's good to hear you joke." 

Something on Aaron T's face shifted. "I'm really sorry."

"Hey." Jesse gestured for him to get onto the bed. "This is nowhere close to being your fault. Oh my God, it's really you?"

"Yeah?"

Jesse's eyes started to water. Again.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Aaron T. snuggled in. "We all made it." 

Taeyoung tilted his head, the beginnings of a warm smile playing at the edge of his lips. "Why are you still on the floor Z.? Get up here."

Robaire shifted to make room for him. His eyes shot silent words 

Are you okay?

He nodded. Are you?

He nodded back.

"I missed you so much," Jesse sobbed, "I, you, you were gone."

"I know," Aaron T. mumbled, "and I'm back. I'm here."

"You're here."

They sat together, chatting, catching up, crying, laughing, and reminiscing until Jesse's nurse came in to inform them that Jesse really needed rest. They said their goodbyes, and one by one got escorted back to their rooms. 

On the way back, Aaron Z. stopped by Aaron T.'s room, just to briefly stand in the door and chat. 

He was standing by the window. "I can't believe they didn't tell him, that's so cruel." 

Aaron Z. just nodded. 

"You're quiet today," Aaron T. observed.

"Just taking everything in."

"Oh?"

He broke eye contact, his eyes drifting around the ugly, dark hospital room. "I can't believe they put you here."

"It's pretty bad, isn't it?" He tugged at the curtain.

"Wanna come back to mine?"

"Oh my God, you're inviting me to your place? After just one date? Very bold.

"A near-death experience will do that to you." 

He laughed. "In that case, of course I'll accompany you to your room, Mr. Ay-ron-zee."

"Not this again."

"I have 'literally died' privileges."

He blinked. "If you had privileges, I wouldn't be complaining."

"Okay, then don't complain."

He huffed. "Whatever, let's just get out of this room."

"Wow, you want me that bad?"

"Because this room is depressing, and it's making you act weird."

"Jeez, fine." He slung an arm around Aaron Z., and led the way out of the room. "Hey, actually, hold on a second."

A twinge of worry festered in his chest. "Yeah? You okay?"

He shook his hands out, laughing nervously. "So uh, I heard from the staff, they uh, they told me that I was... dead, before the search and rescue people were around, and that you did CPR for a bit."

Oh...?

"They also told me that." He averted his gaze. "If you hadn't done CPR, there was a pretty good chance that the search and rescue team would have been unsuccessful, y'know, in that regard."

Oh. 

"So I wanted to thank you." 

He didn't know what to say.

"For saving my life," he added, "thank you for saving my life. I know I joke a lot about you being my hero, but you really, really are."

"Aaron." He pulled his name twin into a hug.

"You're incredible."

He shut his eyes, a hand combing delicately through Aaron T.'s hair. "I seriously love you so much."

"I know." He could feel his smile. "I love you too."

They walked back to Aaron Z.'s room together, arm in arm.

Despite its briefness, their reunion as five was enough to make Aaron Z. glow. They were okay. Everything was going to be okay. It would take time, and work, and more pain than they could conceive, but that didn't matter because they were five. They were okay. Everything was going to be okay. 

Once again, Aaron Z. found himself thanking whatever cosmic force kept them together. He was starting to think that maybe they weren't just born for this, for each other, maybe it came from before that. Maybe their connection started back when everything started. 

Maybe these moments, the moments where they were bound to each other against all odds, were destined from the start. 

He liked that thought. As Aaron T. settled into bed next to him, warm, smiling, alive, he knew it was true.

[kervinredfire]

Loonatics KR Update: New Member, Character, Plus Sneak Peek Chapter!

Hello everyone. Still part of the Loonatics? Today I got new updates working on in Loonatics KR.

New Member: Today we got a new member for our project Loonatics KR. Thanks to @mysticinternetdinosaur we have just added @segamarkiii as the new member for Loonatics KR She is a Loonatics Unleashed artist who draws the art of Rip X Kit including her OC Tess to check it out in her account. Again thank you for being part of us!

2. New Character Koale: We have also added a new character in the for the KR cut named Koale written created by @mysticinternetdinosaur and drawn by @segamarkiii . In short this character will appear as a busker when meeting Ace and he will talk about joining in a contest to get the prize money. There is not much about him to avoid spoilers for the KR cut so you can check his OC here.

NOTE: You have no right to use this image or use this character without permission from the owner and you have no right to use for nfts

3. Sneak Peek: I felt bad for not posting the KR cut but we don't rush the stories. As of now here is a sneak peek for the special KR cut from Episode 1 Chapter 1 featuring the first KR cut character Koale.

NOTE: Please do not use the fic without permission

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Originally written by @purpleluckystar

KR-fied re-written by @mysticinternetdinosaur and @kervinredfire

"Stupid Dad and his stupid dojo..." Ace mumbled under his breath, looking at his feet as he walked who knew where.

He'd been walking for a good while already but didn't know how long exactly. He just kept going until the hills, where his house was located, were lost behind the city's skyscrapers. The noises of flying cars and busy streets soon took over and he found himself not far from Acme University, where he had been studying for the past three years to obtain a Martial Arts coaching degree – which, of course, had been forced onto him by his paternal.

His mind was still wrapped around his argument with his father. Why couldn't he understand that military life was his calling? Not like he hated martial arts, he found it to be of good use if somebody tried to mess with him. But being forced into it just for the sake of "legacy" was extremely annoying – if not oppressive. No matter what he said, Nao would never allow him to decide for himself. What kind of parent does that? And he was twenty-one, for goodness' sake! He shouldn't even have to obey his father's wishes!

Still lost in his thoughts, he didn't even see the tall, black limousine parking beside the sidewalk and the young lady getting out of it. Before he could even register her presence, they both bumped into each other. Ace felt the pain in his jaw and cursed between his teeth, putting his hand on his furry white cheek. He lifted his eyes toward the other person – a rabbit, just like him, with cream-colored fur and green eyes, wearing what he guessed was a cheerleading uniform. She was holding her head with a hand, most certainly where he accidentally hit her.

They both looked at the others, and right at the same time, they sputtered:

"I'm sorry!"

"No wait, I'm sorry," Ace objected, "I wasn't watching where I was going! Are you hurt?"

"I-I'm fine," the girl replied, still holding her head. "Just a bit stunned, that's all. What about you? I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!"

"Oh, nothing bad, don't worry!" he reassured her with a friendly smile, suddenly forgetting his anger from only a few seconds before. "I guess we both need to be more careful with our surroundings, right?"

The other rabbit nodded with an amused smile and, oh, welp, she was cute, Ace thought. She was around his age and could be attending Acme University too. But he never saw her before, so maybe she was on another course. There were more of them there than fingers on both hands after all.

Suddenly, the girl seemed to remember something as her expression changed for a concerned look.

"Oops, sorry, I have to go!" she excused herself, taking off toward a building a few feet from them. "And sorry again!"

She disappeared behind the doors of a multi-sports facility, leaving Ace alone where he stood while the limousine next to him finally left. Apparently, she was also rich.

He sighed; he was a bit disappointed he didn't get the chance to talk a bit more with her. At least that would have helped him ease his mind. Well, maybe he'd run into her again in the future, who knew?

Deciding he needed something to keep himself busy, preferring not going home yet, at least not until lunch, he thought about his options. Many of his classmates had already gone home to other states to see their families, leaving him on his own. He remembered there was a science forum at Acme University, but science wasn't his thing and it was mostly for future students who chose scientific courses. With a sigh, Ace finally opted to go to the beach. He didn't attend to swim – he had no swimsuit with him anyway – but rather found a quiet place to think.

The rabbit then walked until he saw a subway entrance and took off toward the west of Acmetropolis. Thankfully, he had his credit card on him to pay for a ticket. But while he was waiting, he could hear a familiar song play across the subway. It was an old song that he used to listen to a long time ago. The artist who performed that song had mysteriously disappeared during a series of events. He continued to go inside the train.

•••

The beach wasn't entirely quiet – it was right next to some restaurants and much smaller buildings than the skyscrapers in the middle of Acmetropolis. But for now, the place was mostly calm, with only the sound of the waves to break the silence. Ace didn't take his shoes off and simply walked on the almost white sand. He stopped only a few meters from where the waves gently crashed on the beach and lifted his brown gaze toward the horizon. He took a deep breath, feeling a small breeze caress his fur.

So, what now? He couldn't convince his father to let him live his dreams. Serving his country really mattered for him, but as long as he lived with his father, Nao would always come in the way.

Maybe... maybe he needed to move out. Find another place to live, far from his paternal so he would finally be left alone. He would have to find a job in another city to rent a small flat for himself, and once he saved enough money, he would be able to register in the army. That sounded like a good plan. Now he just needed to break the news to his father. Another day, of course; he had his fair share of arguments today.

As he was walking down the sand, he heard someone singing faintly in the air. He soon comes across an armadillo lizard playing on an electric guitar. The music is good to say the least. His voice was a bit scratchy, but the lyrics matched perfectly with the tempo. The busker finishes the song they were playing. He looks around, seeing that there is no one listening. Ace decides to tip him a few dollars. The busker takes notice of Ace's donation. "Thanks man!" He says in satisfaction.

"Sure, anytime." He says showing some slight stress. The lizard also takes notice of this. "Hey, why the blues?"

"Oh, uh. It's nothing really." Ace answers to him. "Just having a bad day, that's all."

"Really?" He says while tuning his guitar. "Well if it could cheer you up, got a song request?"

He was a bit surprised to hear this. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am!" He answers, cheerfully. "Besides, I can play any song of any genre. Name it, and I'll play it. Your call."

He thinks of a song they can play. Then, a song comes up in his mind. "Can you play 'Faded Paradise' by Discorded?"

When the busker heard this, he was taken aback. "Uh..." He starts to look around in random places. "Are you sure you can't choose something else?"

Ace was confused by this statement. "But didn't you just say that you can play any song?"

"Sorry, any song BUT electronic." He says. "If you want, I can play anything else. I can play pop, folk, country, blues, R&B, jazz, rock, classical, classic rock..." He started to see Ace's disapproval of this. "You really want me to play this, don't you?"

"Just this one time?" He asked politely.

The busker sighs loudly. "Fine. But just this one time." He then started to play the song Ace requested. The performance of the song was beyond words. It was calm and peaceful, and it was as if his worries had faded away. He could only listen in awe at the way he was playing. The busker finally finishes the song. "So, how was it?"

"That was awesome!" Ace excitingly says. "You were able to sound like Discorded himself! It was perfect! Almost too perfect..." The song he played sounded familiar to the one he heard on the subway. He then started to put the two and two together. "Wait a minute..."

"Oh no." The busker says worryingly.

"You're Discorded!" He shouted. A few people started to stare at the two.

"Shhh! Not too loud!" Discorded whispered at him. The people ignored them and walked away.

"Fine, you caught me." He said, defeated. "I am Discorded. I mean, I was Discorded. But please just call me Koale."

"So this is where you've been for the past few years!" Ace says with excitement. "What happened to you?"

"Hum... Well... Uhhh... " Koala started to fiddle with his guitar pick. "Alright, I'll tell you. Just sit down with me for a bit, okay?"

Ace decides to sit next to him as Koale tells his story.

"I started to play music when I was around 14 years old." He said as he fiddled with his guitar pick. "For some reason though, no matter what I create, it becomes a total hit. Soon, some music producers found out about my talent and asked me for a partnership. I got a bit too cocky and said yes."

"What happened then?" Ace asked him.

"Let's just say I fell down hard. Very hard," He continued. "It turned out that I wasn't really making as much money as I thought. And I was a fool back then. I started to spend my money on almost everything. Clothes, shoes, and music gear; I wasn't keeping track of my savings. Eventually, they decided to cut my partnership with them and do it with some other dude."

Koale took a moment to inhale his vape pen, then blew out a big puff of vapor. "After that, everything went downhill for me. I lost my career, my so-called friends left me, and I basically shamed myself. I just couldn't handle the pressure I was under. So I left my hometown and drove to anywhere I could go. During my travels, however, I heard that Acmetropolis was going to be holding a music competition with a big prize at the end. So yeah, that's why I'm here."

He then looks up at the clear blue sky. "But I'm super nervous right now. What if I fail again just like I did last time? I don't want to go through that again."

"I think I can feel the same way." Ace finally talks to him. Koale looks at him with curiosity. "Oh?"

Ace continues with his problems. "I've been getting into fights with my dad recently. For some reason, he doesn't approve of the ideas I have. I want to go into the military and help others, but he wants me to inherit our family legacy when he becomes old. But I'm twenty-one for crying out loud! I already have dreams of my own! I don't want to be trapped inside the dojo for the rest of my life!"

"So, a 'dream being held down' type of problem?" Koale replies.

"I guess you can say that." He answers.

Koale takes another puff from his pen. "I don't think he's wrong. Being in the military is a hard thing to do. He probably just wants to keep you safe."

"C'mon, my father raised me in martial arts." Ace interrupts Koale. "I think I'll be fine."

"Fine, show me some of your moves."

Ace starts to show him some of the moves he was taught over the years. There were a few punches here and there, but one of the moves that really got his attention was when he jumped and did a roundhouse kick. After that, Koale was left speechless.

"Whoa..." He said in awe. "Okay. I think you'll be fine."

Ace wipes some of the sweat on his fur. "I'm glad I got some of that out of my system, but I need to go now. Thanks for helping me talk about my issues."

"No problem," Koale says. "But I think you should patch things up with your father. Try to see if things can work out. Take it easy."

Ace waves at him. "Later." He continues to walk on the sand.

[chefdoeuvre]

Aftermath

Jay Halstead

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Sister!Reader

Description: People always tend to forget about the aftermath.

Words: 2,122

Requested: yes by anonymous; second, if it's ok i wanted to request a part two to the imagine? i was wondering if you could just explore the aftermath of her assault, as she continues to heal and accept what's happened to her. by this i mean experiencing ptsd and having nightmares, flashbacks and dealing with certain triggers. also, maybe she could still sometimes turn to substances as many survivors do, and just break down sometimes. obviously since it's a halstead sister fic and i love the support system in the last story, i'd love to see jay helping her through everything and being super protective + some scenes with the rest of intelligence? but it's obviously up to you. thank you so much <3

Warnings: mention of drinking, sexual assault, drugs, language, PTSD, Jay Halstead and all of Intelligence being the best.

A/N: This is the long awaited part two to Infliction, and by long-awaited I mean like a month later. I tried to make the end light hearted because it seemed like a good way to go. I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors.

—

It had been a few weeks since the party and things were beginning to look up. You and Brayden started hanging out more and it was safe to say the two of you were on your way to becoming best friends. The group of guys had all been arrested and sent far away from you. You, Jay, and Will have been having more frequent family movie nights instead of them heading out to Molly's every free night they got. Intelligence had basically adopted you as one of their own and even went out of their way to hang out with you. Kim and Hailey had girls nights away from the ever-annoying guys they work with. Adam and Kevin practically chauffeured you to hangouts with Brayden and took you out to your favorite diner on the weekends. Even Hank had called you once in a while as a check-in and to keep you informed about your case. Overall things seemed to be getting better for you.

Except for one little detail. Your PTSD was hitting you like a truck. Of course, the only person who even remotely knew what was happening was Brayden because he was the one person you spent most of your time with. Thankfully he was there to help ground you and calm you down when it all became too much for you. This wasn't sudden, it's been building up since it happened and clearly you needed to work on accepting it rather than shoving it all down. That's one thing you and Jay had in common, the two of you always had trouble addressing your problems no matter how big they became.

Currently, you were laying in bed and staring up at your ceiling that Jay had covered in stars for you. If there was one thing about you is that you still are a child at heart. You had been shocked awake by your recurring nightmare. It always followed the same premise of the night of the party but every night there were either different people, points of view, or different actions you took that still led you to the same outcome. There were dried tears staining your cheeks that you hadn't bothered to wipe away and every few moments there would be a soft sniffle to break the eerie silence.

Having enough of staring up at your ceiling you let out a low huff and pushed yourself up to a sitting position. You turned to the side and looked at the clock resting on your nightstand. The clock read 4:19 AM which was clearly too early for you to be up but too late for you to try and go back to sleep before Jay's rustling while getting ready would wake you up. Reaching over to open the drawer in your nightstand you checked the small bottle hidden under the glasses case that held your blue light ones. It was three-quarters full of vodka you had inconspicuously stolen from Jay's cabinet. You kept promising yourself that you wouldn't drink anymore, but clearly, that wasn't really panning out in your favor. Sure you would have a swig or two before braving yourself and heading off to school but it was to take the edge off, not to get drunk.

If Jay were to check through your drawer he'd probably think otherwise. You had stopped with the pills since he had found you, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him so you continued to drink. Obviously, it wasn't a lot and definitely not enough to get you drunk off your ass. You just wanted to be buzzed enough to have the courage to walk into your dreaded school every morning and deal with the numerous triggers you kept on discovering.

Eventually, it was time for you actually start getting ready for school. Jay had already left for work a while ago, leaving a kiss on your head before stepping out the door. You pulled on a random outfit that was comfortable and your usual pair of shoes before throwing your backpack over your shoulder and walked downstairs. Deciding against your worst judgment you made the choice to brave the day without the buzz of alcohol. Waiting at the front entrance of your building was Brayden. Like every morning the two of you would walk to school together if Jay had to go into the district early. If Jay only had paperwork that day he would drive the two of you to school instead, but that didn't happen very often.

The two of you walked to school silently, only exchanging a few words of greeting. Once you had made it to the large building you both had to split up for your classes. The day went on like usual, boring teachers droning on about upcoming assignments and tests. Lunch had arrived after what seemed like forever and you sat at an empty table practically half asleep. You held your head in your hand as you kept your eyes from slipping shut at the exhaustion.

"You not feeling too hot there?" One of your classmates from English asked as he passed by.

You froze at the familiar words before shaking yourself out of the memory.

"Fine, just tired." You brushed off their comment as he nodded with an understanding smile before continuing to his table.

Moments later the door opened and you picked your head up reluctantly. It was a few guys on the football team.

"You not feeling too hot there?" One of the seniors asked you.

You simply shook your head which only worsened the pain in it. The boys walked a few steps closer before placing their hands on your shoulders. They shoved you back onto the bed and immediately your body began to react.

You kicked and punched aimlessly to get them off of you but your movements were uncoordinated and your mind was foggy. There were too many of them and they began to overpower you, their hands wandering to unwanted places.

“Y/N?” Brayden’s voice pulled you out of the flashback.

“Huh?” Your teary eyes darted around his face before focusing on his concerned expression.

“Let’s head to the library, all right?” Brayden suggested already standing up from his seat across from you.

You nodded silently before hiking your bag over your shoulder and walked to the library beside him. Luckily at your school, they were lenient enough to let you head to the library during lunch. Usually, the kids didn’t take advantage of it but it was an unspoken spot of peace for you and Brayden.

The two of you sat at a table near the back and Brayden pulled a chair up beside you.

“Want to talk about what happened back at lunch?” Brayden asked softly.

You bit your lip in contemplation. This had been happening for weeks and every time you’d shake your head and change the subject. But the fact was it wasn’t getting better and you just needed to tell somebody that you weren’t okay. A few tears slipped out of your eyes which led to quiet sobs escaping from your lips. Brayden offered you a hug with outstretched arms, making sure to check if you were okay with it. You leaned forward into his embrace and squeezed his waist tightly. He held you there while rubbing soothing circles on your back until your cries stopped. You lifted your head off his chest and wiped away the remained tears on your cheeks before speaking up.

“Uh, flashbacks. I’ve been getting them for a while. I thought they’d go away, but they haven’t.” You explained with a sigh, avoiding his gaze and instead taking interest in your hands.

“Okay first, if they happen again tell me, or pull on my sleeve and I’ll get you somewhere quiet. Got it?” Brayden bent his head to try and get into your eye line.

You nodded your head with a hum before he spoke up again, “since they haven’t gone away maybe you should talk to someone. Preferably a professional, but if you’re only comfortable telling me then I’m all ears. Although, I’m not sure that I can cure you with magic, wish I could though.” Brayden tried to lighten the mood with his magic comment.

“Thanks, Brayden. Jay actually has been bugging me about seeing a therapist. Said it helped him with his PTSD, I think I might take him up on it.” You looked up at the boy with pursed lips.

“That’s good. Just know we’re not trying to force you into anything, we just want you to feel better however long that may take.” Brayden gave you a soft smile.

“You are wise beyond your years, you know that?” You smiled back with a small laugh.

“I try, I try.” Brayden shrugged nonchalantly.

“Can you come with me to the district after school?” You asked cautiously.

“Of course, not like I’d rather do my homework.” Brayden laughed.

“And there’s the Brayden I know.” You smiled widely.

Soon enough you and Brayden had been making your way to the twenty-first district to talk with Jay and probably the rest of Intelligence. The air was lighter between the two of you once you had finally started to open up. Of course, you hadn’t spilled everything but the little you had told him made the weight on your shoulders lessen slightly.

“Ah, baby Halstead and company, what brings you here?” Trudy greeted from the front desk with a tight-lipped smile. Even if she didn’t want to admit it, she had a soft spot for you.

“Can you ring us upstairs? I need to talk with Jay.” You asked.

“You’re lucky they haven’t caught a case today.” Trudy walked out from behind her desk and led you and Brayden upstairs.

“Thank you, Trudy.” You smiled and followed the woman.

“I have a special delivery for Detective Chuckles.” Trudy spoke up once the three of you reached the top of the steps.

Jay’s head snapped up from his desk with a look of confusion when his eyes landed on you. He quickly stood up and scanned you over for anything.

“What happened, are you all right?” Jay cupped your cheek in concern before sparing a glance at Brayden for any sign of something bad.

“I’m okay, I just needed to talk to you.” You reassured him.

“All right. You wanna head into the kitchen?” Jay asked.

“No, we could talk at your desk. They’re all gonna find out anyway.” You gestured to the rest of the unit who was watching the two of you intently.

Jay nodded his head and led you to his desk. You reached out and held onto Brayden’s arm as you pulled him along to take a seat and sit beside you. Of course, at this, the entire unit had gathered around with concerned faces once you started to explain to them. Jay’s expression was held with soft eyes as he listened to you agree with wanting to try therapy and asking for help.

Once you were done Jay stood up and placed a kiss on the top of your head before whispering into your hair, “I’m proud of you.” Jay pulled away to give you a warm smile.

“All right come here you little muffin.” Kim held out her arms with a smile.

You stepped forward into her embrace as she squeezed you tightly, she rocked the two of you from side to side eliciting a small giggle out of you. Hailey joined the hug with a laugh once Kim pulled her by the arm.

Antonio placed a hand on your shoulder once you, Hailey, and Kim pulled away, “I’m proud of you, kiddo.” He offered you a kind nod.

“So proud.” Kevin gave you one of his signature bear hugs.

“Okay, it’s my turn.” Adam squeezed his way to stand in front of you. Which caused everyone to laugh at his eagerness.

“I could never forget about you, Ruz.” You wrapped your arms around his shoulders as he lifted your toes off the ground.

“Are we done yet? You guys are treating my sister like an attraction.” Jay sassed.

“You’re just mad that you only got to kiss me on the head and not a hug.” You retorted from leaning back into Brayden with a smirk.

“No, not true.” Jay shook his head with furrowed brows.

“Yup, totally jealous.” You nodded convinced.

“How did we go from a serious topic to Halstead and mini Halstead having a sarcasm battle?” Adam questioned with a confused expression.

“I learned to stop questioning it.” Brayden shrugged from behind you.

“It’s how we cope. Halstead thing, I guess.” You said with raised brows.

“Fair enough.” Jay sighed.

[lstories]

Emma and Gaudi(um)

I do plan on writing a prequel or two but for now, I still got school, life, and other projects that have been coming out of nowhere.

(Safe, soft, vore, unintentional fearplay)

Wordcount: 2572

Olivia was over the moon with happyness and she could barely contain it to keep herself from passing out. "We were just wrapping presents and Felix couldn't figure out how to keep his presents wrapped. Eventually, I decided that I should start taking the presents out to the car and when I came back in he gave me a present to unwrap. He had wrapped up and framed the acceptance letter for the college I applied for!"

"That's amazing, Olivia! I'm so glad you'll get to do this. What will you be doing though?" Emma was deffenetly happy for her friend. They haven't had much time to catch up due to their new lives they built for themselves and each other.

"Well, I plan on going into theoretical sciences but I don't know exactly which study I should focus on. But to do any of that..."

Emma could see the sadness corrupting her friends happiness. She knew what was making Olivia sad and she didnt want say it either.

"You'll have to move out of the states."

Olivia's face shifted in guilt and she stared back down at her nearly empty drink. The silly straw hanging over the side got her to smile just a bit as she watched the bubbles move back down.

"I don't want to leave, but this is exactly what I've wanted for a few years now." She had built her whole life here and now she had to choose which way she went in her new one. It started to hurt her as much as the first time she had to leave somebody she had grown to call family.

"Well your not leaving for the rest of your life right? Once you're done with collage, I'll be the first to welcome you home." Emma knew Olivia was scared, she was too, but she couldn't let her friend feel any worse.

"I also don't want to quit your company." They had made their program when they worked out of Emma's garage. Eventually they just kept branching out into new businesses and it kept working.

"Who said anything about quitting? You helped me build this company so your just as much a part of it as I am." She held onto Olivia's shoulder to reassure her. Olivia smiled and took the last sip of her drink. "We have business over there too and I'll make sure you can get a good paying job that won't hinder your college education, ok?"

Olivia looked back down at her drink, she didn't want to have everything made for her but, she also knew how persistent Emma could be. "That'll be great, thanks, Emma." She just smiled back at Olivia. "Well, sorry this was short but, it was good catching up one last time. Felix and I should get the last of the boxes packed."

"Maybe when you get back, you, Felix, Gaudi, and I could go on a double date?" Emma had never met Felix in person but she had heard him when she was talking with Olivia.

"Ya, maybe." Olivia knew Emma or Gaudi could never meet Felix, they wouldn't understand, but it is nice to dream about. "See you soon, Emma. You too Gaudi."

Emma gave a light wave goodbye while she fought against the frown forming over her smile. She didn't want her friend to leave, but as the carved wood and glass doors closed, it finally set in that she might not see Olivia for possibly a couple of years. Emma could feel her eyes start to sting and her muscles forced themselves into a frown. The bottem half of her vision was going blurry and she couldn't stop a choked sob that escaped her throat.

"Hey, are you ok? Is there anything I could get for you?" Gaudi couldn't help but be a bit protective of Emma. Sadness radiated off her and he wanted to fix that.

"No, maybe? I don't know. I just- I don't want to lose Olivia." she couldn't help but bury her head into her arms and let out another choked back sob.

Gaudi walked out from behind the counter carrying an almost finished drink he'd prepared. "Heyyy, this isn't going to be the last time you see her, you even said it yourself. Plus, you said you were going to hire her into one of the diffrent chains, maybe you could personally check if the store's up to code whenever you want to see her." He had sat down in the stool next to Emma and began to finish the last of the drink. "Maybe try to keep some memories fresh, like... how did you two meet?" Gaudi didnt know much, if not anything about Olivia.

Emma looked back to him and raised her body to talk in an almost professional way. "Well... we were..... I was working on........." Emma couldn't remember how they meet. The only memory of Olivia she had besides the past year or two was just a still image of her and Olivia working on a black screen. "Uhh... could we talk about this some other time?"

Gaudi's face shifted in disappointment. He had wanted to know something about Olivia but there wasn't much to know. "Of course." He had the finished drink ready and made a big show of putting it down in front of Emma.

Emma couldn't help but let out a small laugh as Gaudi took the time to pick out the perfect coaster and bow in his stool as he set the drink down before hopping slightly away. Gaudi always knew how to make her smile. "Umm... could I ask you for a weird favor?"

"Of course. What do you need me to do." Gaudi stood up and dragged his chair back to the counter before sitting back down next to Emma.

"R-right... uhh, could..... do you remember when you first showed me you were a dragon?" She knew what she wanted to ask but she couldn't find the right words.

Gaudi was a bit taken aback, leaving silence to hang in the air for a few seconds. He was a bit confused and the echo in the back of his voice confirmed it. "Of course, but I thought you said you never wanted to talk about it again." Emma could barely get over it but she eventually began to see him as a friend again, but she had said that nightmares haunted her every night.

"Well, ya. I didn't want to remember it, but you're still the same person when you're a dragon so you- I know you won't hurt me." She had to close her eyes while talking, Gaudis dragon form looked like it was just forming in the air behind him.

"Are you sure you-"

"Yes! Just do it before I change my mind."

"Alright, as long as you promise this will make you feel better."

...

"Yes, I promise."

Gaudi didn't want to scare her and have a repeat of what happend the fist time, but if this is what she wanted, he would help. He walked into the a more open part of the house. His skin began to shift as his scales repeatedly flipped over, replacing his skin bit by bit. The air around him started to dance as his wings began to appear out of nowhere. His size steadily increased as his dragon form took over.

Emma, braced herself to keep her from screaming or running away, but... nothing. She wasn't scared of Gaudi. He was still a dragon, but not like she remembered. There wasn't any curling horns or bared teeth, the small grove of spikes along his back seemed dulled down and otherwise harmless. He had soft paws rather than the huge claws she rememberd. His eyes were bigger and not focused on her than the glaring she thought she rememberd. They almost seemed sad, maybe worried. "Oh, Gaudi, are you ok?"

"I thought that's what I was supposed to ask you." He couldn't help but smile as she talked to him like normal. He didn't want Emma to think he was a monster again. He had built up so much trust over the past few months and he was scared that it would be thrown away in an instant. "Is there anything you need me to do before I change back?" It felt nice to be in his dragon form but he wanted to change back as soon as possible. The longer he was a dragon, the higher the chance he might scare Emma.

Emma stared for a while. She wanted to ask for the very thing that was giving her nightmares. She looked back down at her drink while beginning to take a sip. She stopped when she saw the runes on the lid. She set the drink back on the coaster, she didnt want to be awake for too long. The words swirled in her head as she stood up. "Uhhh... c-could you..... there.... I-I just n-need you to......" everything was telling her to stop as tears started to from in her eyes. She couldn't find the words to tell him. Her mind was yelling at her to just go to bed for a week and forget this happend! Everything was getting so loud! "I JUST NEED YOU TO EAT ME!" Her eyes went wide as tears finally started to stream down her face as she fell to her knees.

Gaudi flinched backwards as Emma yelled at him, he didn't know she could be so loud. But the question caught him more off guard. "...what?"

Emma, was balling into her hands at this point. Had she believed that he was just going to eat her the second she said that? "P-p-please, I j-just need you to... e-eat me."

Gaudi felt like he was going to cry. Had he messed up? What prompted her to want to be eaten? "W-why?"

Emma didnt want to tell him. "I-it..." She had said, time and time again that she would never tell anyone! "I j-just wanna...." She might as well tell him to get out beacuse he would never forgive her! "S-s-so warm....." Why did she insist that this was a good idea! "It w-was so......" He's just going to leave! "I WANT TO SLEEP!"

Gaudi laid down onto his stomach as a million questions flooded his brain, but there was one that stood out. "How would me... eating you, help you sleep?"

Emma didnt want to tell him. Everything was going wrong and she just wanted a hug from Gaudi. "E-everyone says face your fears, a-and being i-in there somehow h-helped me feel better."

Gaudi wanted to give Emma a hug, she looked so sad and scared it was hurting him. How long had she felt like this? Was it normal for humans to do this? One of his siblings would be better prepared for this. "I... I don't want to-"

"Gaudi please, I get three hours of sleep a night and it's always a nightmare. I don't want to be scared anymore."

Gaudi stared at her for a second, it hurt him to see her this scared of him again. He reached out one of his paws, bringing her closer and nuzzling her with the side of his head. "I don't want to hurt you." Gaudi nearly fell over when he felt Emma's arms wrap around his neck.

"I know you never will."

Gaudi wanted to melt. How did she trust him enough to ask to be eaten. "I... (sigh) Only if you promise that this will make you feel better."

...

"It will."

Gaudi reluctantly let go of Emma after a minute. She walked in front of him as he stood up. "So, what should I do."

Emma looked at him, she was still scared but Gaudi could cheer her up, he always had. "Um. Could you just... bring your head down?"

Gaudi had to close his eyes as be brought his jaws down over Emma, he didnt like knowing that he was eating his only friend. As Emma's cheek hit his tounge, he could taste the same milky chocolate he was regrettably craving. He could feel Emma shaking and he wanted to reassure her that she was ok, but he knew if he lifted his head he wouldn't be able to help Emma. He brought his head down a bit more, bringing Emma up to her waist as he continued to cover her with saliva. He lifted his head up, bringing Emma with it and giving him confirmation that she was scared. She was deffenetly fighting every urge to struggle. Gaudi was nearly on the verge of tears again, he didnt want Emma to be scared. He couldn't help but think this was the wrong decision. Emma began to slide down his throat and he couldn't help but purr at the feeling of something heavy moving towards his stomach. He gave one last swallow, sending Emma completely to his stomach. The weight settling in his middle started to make him drowsy as he felt Emma stop struggling.

"Are you ok?"Emma needed to be ok, if he let himself go threw with this and she wasn't ok he would never forgive himself.

"I'm... ya, I'm fine. Thanks." Emma wasn't able to let herself feel last time she was eaten, and it surprisingly felt wonderful. Everything was so soft and she had a bit more room than she initially thought she would.

"You seem to be a lot calmer."

"Ya, thank you, it's a lot nicer than I remember, but may I also try to sleep?"

"Sure, I (yawn) also need to take a nap."

"Hey! You're only supposed to sleep after eating from a Thanksgiving meal!" She lightly punched the top of the stomach for emphasis.

Gaudi couldn't help but purr at the feeling of something moving in his stomach. "Ya, you're right. You're not Thanksgiving dinner sized. Not human dinner sized at least.

Emma scoffed at his remark and began to flail wildly with a grin on her face. He really could make her smile at nearly any situation. "When I get out I'm going to hunt you down."

Gaudi nearly collapsed as Emma moved around. Instead of the firm punching and kicking, it was instead a weird form of rubbing. He barely caught himself on the counter. The gentle cracking from the expensive stone had him make sure to stay away from it. "Cant you already see me?"

Emma hadn't realized it but she didnt have her eyes open. It was a sight when she did open them. The slick walls shown with small streaks of a bright pink bioluminescent flesh. It was pretty amazing. "It... thanks (yawn) Gaudi."

Gaudi couldn't help but let out his own yawn. It was contagious. "Goodnight."

He was tempted to lie on the floor and sleep there but he had enough energy to walk to his room and luckily Emma installed large doors so he could walk around the house to stretch out his wings when she wasn't home. The four large king sized beds were enough for Gaudi to sleep comfortably on without hurting his wings. He flopped onto his side and began to lay a hand over his gut. Emma's balled up form underneath his scales made him happy, knowing that Emma was safe with him. It's a good thing he was scared over nothing, maybe they could do this again without being so scared.

[pandaluc]

Love and Envy, all because of you.

When you like somebody else rather them

Characters included: Diluc, Kaeya, Childe, Jean

Warnings: not proof-read, very slight mentions of wine and fighting

g!n reader

Diluc

Diluc falling in love is something rarer than winning the lottery. So when this man falls in love, he falls really hard. Stutters, awkwardness, stares, and try-hardness. He does these all as long as you are in his sight.

However, he took such a long time to confess because fear had took over him. He feared to lose you as well, just as the way he lost his father. And well, to his surprise, he regretted not confessing earlier.

He decided to go work in Angel's Share and creek. The door swings open with Kaeya's arm around your waist, and you staring lovingly at Kaeya's eyes. Diluc's mood definitely got worse. And the fact that yoh are with his brother? He knows he has no right to get upset, but he can't ignore this burning flame in his heart the moment he saw the both of you.

He tries to maintain his composure, but deep in him was a mix of lots of emotions. He is annoyed, upset, sad, and disappointed all at the same time. And well it's not too good of a reason, but he might start treating Kaeya more harshly than before.

He is envious. In all people in Teyvat, why his brother? He can't help but stare at the both of you, thinking on the many decisions he went wrong. Thinking those opportunities he should've confessed but didn't. And the more he stares, the more his madness gets replace by sadness.

He lost again one of the few people he always treasured in his life. Though he knows that he should be happy because you are laughing joyfully in Kaeya's arms, but he can't help but imagine him being the source of your smiles.

Ever since, he will start to avoid you and will throw out his anger in paperwork and hilichurls. He distracts himself a lot, and makes sure he is very busy so that you will get off of his head and heart.

If he has to talk to you, he will make sure to have a stern face with a cold voice. He will do everything simply to push you away from him. And sometimes, he would say offensive words he didn't mean just to push you away. He does realize how much you'll get hurt when you and his friendship dies, but deep down in him he knows that this is for the good.

Kaeya

Ah yes, Kaeya, a very charming person and surely, lots in Mondstadt thinks so too. He is also a flirt and quite social, a reason why you both are friends for a very long time now.

And in his thinking, maybe it won't be such a bad idea to perhaps upgrade your relation to one another. It took him long enough to realize that he had grew feelings towards you.

He would worry a lot when you get hurt. He would make sure that nobody makes you feel uncomfortable. He started to be careful of his duties as the Cavalry Captain just so that he could see you once again. Heck, he even tried his very best to sound genuine instead of flirty when he compliments you. He was even prepared to quit drinking if that's what you find in a man. Sadly, all of his goodness, to you, was just friendliness.

After lots and lots of thinking if he actually have feelings for you, he finally decided to confess. Not until you came running up to him, continuously talking about this man you know that you fell so in love with. "May I know who is this man you fell in love with?". He took his chances but sadly, the name you said was not his. Disappointment filled Kaeya's heart, but at the same time, he found it funny. Funny, that he spent so much time making sure of his feelings that he didn't even get the chance to confess. Funny, how his confidence suddenly broke down when he knew that you had feelings for someone else.

He wanted to tell you that maybe he was the one for you. But, you looked so happy talking about this man you fell in love with. And kaeya is a smart man. He knew at that very moment that he didn't stand a chance. And that he will never be with you.

Even so, he agreed helping you to convey your feelings to the man you love. If it's only friendship you and he could have, then he will take it rather than being acquaintances. He'd remind you here and there to not get your hopes so high for this man, but everytime he does so, you force to him that you are sure of your decisions.

Because of you, he had gathered so much pain in his chest. Much pain that only wine could temporary wash off. During the evening, he'd tell you that he will be doing captain duties when in reality, he goes to his home drinking all the wine he could trying to forget about the pain you had caused him.

In times where you talk to him, he'd still seem normal and as if nothing is hurting him. But deep down, he just wishes to wrap his arms around you and be the man that will love you until the end of life.

Childe

You and Childe had been very close. He was comfortable with you. He wasn't afraid to show you his downsides, and the times where he cannot do anything but pour tears out. He did not want to hurt you as well. As much as he found fighting fun, he did not want to fight with you, ever.

That is when he realized that he had fallen in love with you. He denied it to himself a number of times but he just can't stop thinking of you. "Are they safe?" "Do they need anything?" "What if they feel alone?" "What if I lose them?". The moment he realized, he wanted to confess. He wanted to be yours. But he feared that him being part of the fatui will be a hindrance to your relationship and may affect your well-being. After all, he rarely gets time to stay and spend time with you.

But the moment he felt the feeling of envy, that is when he thought to himself that he will indeed confess and not give you up. While he was in Liyue's woods, he saw you walking with this man he does not know. He saw your hand holding someone else's. He saw your eyes full of love while staring at someone else's eyes. That exact moment, he decided to meet you as soon as possible and confess his feelings.

He was aware that it might make things awkward and that it might break the both of your friendship. But he wanted to at least do what he can, and take his chances. Some would say he was desperate, but to him, he was simply hopeful. He was hoping and wishing that you will be his.

And so he tried. But he couldn't. He felt scared. He knew he did not stand a chance. So instead, he tried to convey his feelings through actions, not through words. And he hoped to all of the archons and celestial gods that you will realize how much he yearns for your love.

Though in relationships, he doesn't get possessive and jealous easily.. Even if the both of you are just friends, he quite had become just a bit possessive and protective of you. How could you blame him after all? He really wanted you to be his, and for you to know it. He was willing to give anything and everything to you. He would even quit the fatui, despite his loyalty to the Tsaritsa, if that was the reason why you cannot love him back. Sometimes, he'd use his words to hint his feelings for you. "Is that man really all that? Don't you think that I may be better after all?" "Don't keep your hopes high though, he may leave you one day". However, you all took these phrases simply as a friendly way. Or even in a platonic way. After all, there was still a glimpse of a non-seriousness in his tone.

He had thoughts of using his fatui harbinger title to scare the man loving you off. But remembering your smile when you talk about this man, he'd rather set you free to make you happy than to see you all his with sadness in your face.

It cannot be avoided. You and his friendship was slowly but very slightly falling apart. He started to bottle up emotions and hide them from you. You started to spend more time to with your man, and less with him. And it saddened and angered him. But after much thinking, maybe it was good after all. Now that he spends less time with you, maybe his feelings will drift away. Just maybe.

Jean

The acting grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius. Always so busy with work, and sometimes pressured to help others that she would try to do more than what she could. It was a very stressful life for her, barely getting a chance to rest and take a breath. But you went to her life. She admired and appreciated you oh so much. You would remind her to always eat and sleep. You would do your very best to help her in her duties, even if she insists that it is alright not to do so. You cared for her so much that she cannot help but get feelings for you.

It was when you made her realize that she should live a life the way she actually wants to. It was when you convinced her that she is not alone when it comes to protecting Mondstadt. It was when you were always and always there for her, she realized how strong her feelings gotten. But Jean is quite the shy and quiet type. No matter how much she trusts you, she could never get herself to express her romantic love for you.

And alas, the day she never though would come happened. You had told her that you indeed have a relationship with someone else. And at that day, she felt very devastated. She knew beforehand that she never stood a chance. She knew how much opportunities of confessing she had missed. She thought she was prepared for the day to come where you are with someone else. But she thought wrong. She was listening carefully to your words. Your words of excitement and joy towards that someone you love. Of course, she pretended to be so happy for you. But if you listen closely, you could hear a hint of sadness in the tone of her voice.

The moment you left her and locked the door of her office, she looked back at her paper works and started to drown in her thoughts. So many "what ifs" and "whys" in her head that she cannot hold her tears back no matter how much she tried. She knew it was pathetic to cry over one person that has a relationship with somebody else. But for some reason, she felt the same pain she feels whenever someone in the knights die.

She wouldn't necessarily avoid you. But the moment she sees you, she suddenly gets tense out of nowhere and tends to avoid you without even her noticing. If you called her out for it and ask if anything is wrong, she will simply make her exhaustion as an excuse. You thought that it was because of paper work and duties, so you tried to help. But those nights where she slept very late was because of her uncontrollable thinking and crying caused by you and you only. She would also make herself busy and interact with other people more. She would basically do anything to keep you out of her mind.

But of course, she is still there for you whenever you need something. She is always willing to lend a hand, even if it is for a future date of you and your partner. If you feel negative emotions, she will be there to listen and try to help if you wish. She may be disappointed that you chose someone else than her, she knows how to make sure that her emotions will not cause any harm to you and to your significant other.

Author's Note

I've been receiving lots of support lately in my posts and in my ask box and for that, I am very thankful <33. I know I don't post so often so my apologies for that. But nevertheless, I want to tell y'all that I appreciate each one of you so much! You make my day brighter. Ily, and don't forget to take care of yourself! Eat, hydrate, sleep, stay safe!